The suspected attacker in the Berlin CSD incident, Abdul B., may potentially be enrolled in a deradicalization program upon his release from prison in May. This was confirmed to Spiegel by Thomas Mücke, co-founder and managing director of the “Violence Prevention Network” (VPN) in Berlin.
Sources within security circles reported that in May, Abdul B. was sentenced to a term of one year and ten months for preparing a serious, state-endangering act of violence. This sentence was handed down under a special provision of youth criminal law-a form of “suspended sentence” or probationary release (Vorbewährung). As part of his sentence requirements, he was mandated to engage in supervision by the Violence Prevention Network.
According to Mücke, Abdul B. was still in a “clearing phase.” Two meetings had taken place, on June 15th and July 8th. During these encounters, Abdul B. behaved in a manner described as “friendly, non-committal, and agreeable.” Mücke stated that his staff had reservations about whether it would be worthwhile to include him in the deradicalization program. He stressed that “a certain sense of problem awareness” is necessary, noting, “otherwise, you won’t be able to reach these individuals.”
A final decision regarding his inclusion in the counseling process was scheduled to be made following a third meeting with the VPN experts, which was planned for the coming week. Prior to these engagements, Abdul B. was allegedly involved in the attack in the Berlin Tiergarten. During the initial two consultations, Mücke reported that there were “no signs of a concrete threat situation whatsoever.” Had there been any such indication, the organization would have immediately notified the authorities.
