The grieving parents of André, a 9-year-old boy killed in the Magdeburg Christmas market terrorist attack last month, have published a video on social media expressing their anguish and frustration with what they describe as a lack of support and compassion from the authorities.
Désirée Gleißner and Patrick Sommer, who lost their child when 50-year-old Saudi national Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen plowed his vehicle into Christmas marketgoers on Dec. 20, 2024, took to TikTok to criticize the response of state and local officials in the aftermath of the tragedy.
“The state and Magdeburg are currently letting us down and making our lives really difficult,” said André’s stepfather Patrick Sommer while standing in front of a photo of his stepson.
The couple shared their ordeal of not being allowed to see André’s body for 11 days, despite repeated pleas and legal threats.
🇩🇪 A photo of the 9-year-old boy killed in the German Christmas market has been released.
He was murdered by a Saudi Arabian man who made threatened to slaughter and murder Germans multiple times.
Security services failed to even monitor him despite numerous warnings. pic.twitter.com/MfLrsR0NQN
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 21, 2024André’s mother, Désirée, fought back tears as she detailed the torment of being unable to say a final goodbye to her child. “With every second, the hope that we will be able to see our child again dwindles,” she said as she took aim at the bureaucracy surrounding her desire to see her son’s body.
“Only by threatening to call a lawyer can things finally move forward. Now, two more days will pass before we can see our child. Nobody knows whether we are even allowed to do that. Whether it would be reasonable. I don’t understand why a mother should be allowed to suffer so much,” she added.
@annamarinada #Duett mit @DesiPlus5->1986🥰💖 #andré #fyp ♬ Originalton – DesiPlus5->1986🥰💖
The couple also expressed dismay over the lack of psychological support and official outreach, stating that all assistance they’ve received so far has been through private channels. “We haven’t gotten any help from anyone up there,” Patrick said, referring to government authorities.
“The government hasn’t contacted us yet,” Désirée confirmed. “Some stupid victim protection agency sent us a form letter with printed signatures telling us that we shouldn’t be afraid to seek any help. There’s something missing.”
BREAKING: 🇩🇪🚨Reported TERROR ATTACK on GERMAN CHRISTMAS MARKET in Magdeburg
Multiple people dead and injured, according to MDR. pic.twitter.com/Sn3wGpoWAv
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 20, 2024Beyond their personal grief, the couple directed attention to systemic failures, accusing the government of negligence in preventing the attack.
The suspected perpetrator, an individual known to authorities for his ties to terrorism, was allegedly left unchecked. “The blame lies with the one person who killed our child. And with the government because they didn’t act,” said Désirée.
Their frustration also extended to the local police, who were reportedly present but unable to prevent the tragedy. While Désirée refrained from blaming individual officers, she questioned the broader systemic issues that allowed the attack to occur.
“I can’t blame the police officers because they were 30 meters away in their stupid car. I don’t want to be in their shoes either. The fact is: He was known as a terrorist and no one did anything about it,” André’s mother added.
Germany: Magdeburg admits massive security miss as the government scrambles to secure country from future attacks
Known for openly promoting the acceptance of migrants, Germany's interior minister now says: “It is clear that we must do everything we can to protect the people of… pic.twitter.com/iOKmjJbnr5
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 23, 2024The couple announced their intention to amplify their message through social media. “We may be small people, but we are not small, we are Germany,” they declared, urging viewers to share their video to hold authorities accountable. “Make it big and help us,” they implored.
The video has sparked widespread outrage and debate online, with many expressing solidarity with the grieving family and calling for greater accountability in the handling of terrorist threats and victim support.
André was one of five confirmed fatalities in the Christmas market massacre which injured over 200 others.
On Monday, Germany’s Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said it was still too soon to jump to any conclusions about the suspect’s motive for the attack, and confirmed that investigations were underway to ascertain whether any security lapses could have contributed to the attack.
