German officials on Saturday condemned an attack that resulted in the injury of a Ghanaian girl and her father.
Police said that an 8-year-old Ghanaian girl and her 10-year-old sister were attacked by a group of around 20 teenagers and young adults late on Friday.
What do we know about the attack?
The 8-year-old girl and her father had sustained mild injuries and were hospitalized.
The attack occurred in the town of Grevesmühlen in the northeastern German state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Police said the attackers kicked the younger girl in the face, after which the girl’s parents intervened.
According to police reports, one of the suspected attackers continued to direct racist insults at the victims after officers arrived at the scene.
Police are investigating a breach of the peace, grievous bodily harm, incitement of hatred and verbal abuse.
State and local officials condemn attack
Grevesmühlen mayor Lars Prahler told the German public radio station NDR 1 Radio MV that he was shocked at the incident.
“This racially motivated offense simply leaves me stunned. It shows bottomless hatred and uninhibited inhumanity and cannot be excused,” he said.
He added that the fact that some of the suspects are teenagers is no excuse for the behavior.
State Premier Manuela Schwesig condemned the attack in a post on the platform X, formerly Twitter.
“The injured girl is 8 years old — as young as my daughter. We must not allow hatred and hate speech to poison our society and violence to threaten our children,” she declared.
State Interior Minister Christian Pegel said: “You don’t attack people, especially not children, and certainly not for racist motives.”
Jana Michael, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Integration Commissioner, urged those in the group of youths to name the perpetrators.
“Every witness who remains silent is complicit and prevents the investigation of this disgusting violence against children,” she said.
sdi/rmt (dpa, AFP)
