An Afghan national allegedly stabbed a two-year-old baby and a man to death while attacking a group of toddlers. The man, 41, tried to protect the children when the suspect reportedly carried out the attack that left three others injured. 

The attack took place in Aschaffenburg, southern Germany, on January 22, and the suspect, who has been partially named as 28-year-old Enamullah O, will go on trial today, Thursday, October 16. It is reported that five toddlers were sitting together in a wooden cart, alongside two teachers from their kindergarten class, when the suspect allegedly attacked them with a kitchen knife. 

A Syrian girl, 2, one of the teachers and a 72-year-old man were among those who were left wounded. Enamullah O, who authorities had tried to deport to Bulgaria in 2023, was arrested shortly afterwards.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the suspect has a long history of mental illness and prosecutors said there was no indication he acted out of extremist or terrorist motivation. They also said he had paranoid schizophrenia when the crime happened.

Enamullah O first arrived in Bulgaria from Afghanistan. He then travelled to Germany and authorities tried and failed to deport him back to Bulgaria in 2023.

He allegedly threatened a fellow resident at an accommodation for asylum seekers in the town of Alzenau in August 2024. It’s reported he caused her minor injuries with a butcher’s knife.

The suspect had an asylum application turned down. He had said he would voluntarily leave Germany last December, but did not leave and remained under treatment. 

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz has adopted a hard-line stance on asylum seekers since his appointment in May. He pledged to get a grip on immigration and border security when campaigning for the election.

Germany’s tougher border control has seen illegal migration fall to 22,170 entries so far in 2025, significantly down from 83,572 in the same period in 2024 and 127,549 in 2023.

The country has tightened its border controls, stopped family reunification and abolished a fast-track naturalisation process.