The Somali shouted “Allahu Akbar!” as he attacked him, so I’m afraid the motive will forever remain a mystery.
A 76-year-old German man, Detlef J., has passed away from his injuries after having been severely beaten by a Somali migrant screaming “Allahu akbar” last year.
Detlef was never able to leave the hospital during the 11 months since then, and eventually fell into a coma as a result of the unprovoked attack. He died alone, since hospital precautions taken to prevent the spread of the coronavirus made it impossible for his family members to visit him in his final days.
Detlef’s death was confirmed by his sons, Ralf and Markus, and reported in Bild. His last name has not been released due to Germany’s privacy laws.
Detlef was on his way home from playing a game with friends on May 16 last year when he encountered 26-year-old Ali M. near the Offenburg train station. Ali attacked Detlef for no reason, beating and kicking him, and witnesses reported that he repeatedly screamed “Allahu akbar!” according to another report by Bild. The subsequent investigation showed that Ali selected Detlef at random.
Ali had previously been admitted into Germany from Somalia as a refugee.
Ali was put on trial in the Offenburg Regional Court, and in November he was sentenced to a psychiatric clinic for an indefinite period. He has not been given a prison sentence, and law enforcement has not treated the incident as a terrorist attack despite the assailant’s use of the Muslim battle cry.