This week, Germany was hit with a surprise column in the prestigious FAZ newspaper by Agricultural Minister Cem Özdemir (Green Party) calling for a rethink on migration policy because his daughter is being sexually harassed by men of migrant origin when she goes out in the city. Now, the father of a teenage girl slaughtered by a migrant on a train in Brokestedt in January 2023 wrote an open letter to Özdemir. The father, Michael Kyrath, notes that although Özdemir may be concerned about the safety of his own child, Kyrath’s daughter is never coming home.
In the powerful open letter, Kyrath notes that 300 children have lost their lives due to Germany’s open border policy.
Özdemir’s daughter is set to graduate high school this year and will be around the same age as Kyrath’s daughter, Ann-Marie Kyrath, when she was brutally murdered by an asylum seeker with multiple convictions, including violent offenses. Although his asylum request was rejected, he was never deported.
In addition, her 19-year-old boyfriend, Danny, was viciously stabbed to death as well. Multiple people were injured. In total, there were 38 stab wounds on the two main victims. The two, a young couple, died in shock and agony.
In fact, at the time of the murder, Remix News covered the event, including with this video:
Remix News is republishing his open letter in full, which was originally published on Achgust.com:
Dear Mr. Özdemir,
Every person is the product of their environment. The experiences of the years teach us to question our perspectives through events.
It looks as if you, Mr. Özdemir, Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture, have just had this experience. In a guest article for FAZ, you suddenly call for a vigorous change in migration policy. Apparently there is something to the saying “With age comes wisdom!”
Not long ago, such demands would have been considered right-wing radical in your eyes and therefore out of the question. But as soon as it happens to you, after your daughter has been molested, your opinion turns a full 180 degrees. Welcome to the real world of normal citizens, Mr. Minister.
What gives me the right to write you such lines?
My name is Michael Kyrath. I am the father of 17-year-old Ann-Marie, who was murdered in Brokstedt on January 25, 2023. In addition to my daughter, her 19-year-old boyfriend Danny also died that day after a rejected, repeatedly convicted, “stateless” Palestinian stabbed them both 38 times on a regional train.
In contrast to your daughter, dear Mr. Özdemir, our daughter will no longer be coming home. None of your party friends put themselves on the line regarding our case in the way that you are now doing for your daughter.
On the contrary! We were told that we should be careful that the murder of our daughter is not abused by right-wing radicals! We received a message from one of your coalition partners saying that he was sorry that “these people” had lost their lives.
These “people” were our children, Ann-Marie and Danny! Teenagers aged 17 and 19, on their way home from school. Two young people who still had their whole lives ahead of them.
Can you imagine what such an act does to those left behind? To us as parents? To grandparents, schoolmates, teachers, friends, neighbors?
We will never celebrate our children’s graduation! We will never congratulate them on completing their vocational training or university studies! We will not attend their weddings, and we will never welcome grandchildren of our own. We will never be able to hug our children again and tell them that we love them!
Over 300 parents have contacted me who have lost their children in the last five years.
What unites us all are five key points:
1. Always the same perpetrator profile
2. Always the same tool
3. Always the same motives
4. Always the same sequence of events and
5. Always the same phrases from the responsible politicians after such an act!
After the murders of our children, we were told that these were “regrettable isolated cases” and that one could never guarantee 100 percent safety. And that one should not generalize and thereby play into the hands of right-wing radicals. And that one would try to take tough action against such perpetrators. Nothing more has happened in recent years.
“Only” around 300 parents had the courage to contact me and tell me about this dark chapter of their lives. How high is the number of those who did not have the courage?
We were all just “isolated cases,” insignificant, inconvenient, unpleasant.
Over 300 children murdered and no outcry from the politicians responsible, not even from you, Mr Özdemir! And now you’re speaking out. Now, it suddenly affects you personally because it’s about your daughter. If you had realized this earlier and done something, many of our children would still be alive.
May you never have to experience such a thing!
Best regards
Michael Kyrath, Elmshorn
