Würzburg, Germany (KAAB TV) – A Somali man who killed three women and injured several others in a knife attack in the Bavarian city of Würzburg will remain permanently confined to a psychiatric hospital in Germany. Authorities have ruled out deporting him to Somalia, citing concerns for both public safety and the likelihood that he could return to Germany and commit further crimes.
According to the Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office, the man—identified as Abdirahman Jibril, aged 24 at the time of the attack—cannot be released for deportation. The office told the BR24 news outlet that deportation would pose a significant risk to public safety, as there would be no way to ensure continued supervision once he returned to Somalia.
A psychiatric evaluation determined that Jibril suffers from a severe mental illness that played a decisive role in the attack.
Experts warned that if he were deported, Somali authorities would likely release him without medical supervision, making it possible for him to return to Germany and reoffend.
The Bavarian State Office for Refugees and Deportation had previously investigated the possibility of deporting him, but such an action required approval from prosecutors, who ultimately rejected it. The Munich prosecutor’s office concluded that indefinite confinement in a psychiatric institution was necessary, stating that Jibril “remains a danger to the public.”
As a result, Jibril will be kept in the psychiatric ward of Lohr Hospital, located roughly 30 kilometers northwest of Würzburg. His defense lawyer, Hanjo Schrepfer, told the dpa news agency that he supported the ruling:
“I consider the decision of the Prosecutor General’s Office to be correct, and I believe that this judicial decision is appropriate.”
The incident occurred on June 25, 2021, when Jibril entered a department store in downtown Würzburg armed with a knife. He suddenly began attacking shoppers, targeting women at random.
Three women—aged 24, 49, and 82—were killed in the assault. One of the victims, a mother, died while shielding her 11-year-old daughter from the attacker. Nine others were wounded, five of them critically. Eyewitnesses reported that Jibril shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the rampage.
Bystanders bravely intervened, throwing chairs and other objects to distract the attacker until police arrived and shot him in the thigh, subduing him. The attack shocked Germany and reignited debates over asylum policies, mental health care for refugees, and the monitoring of high-risk individuals.