The man thought to have driven the truck in the attack at Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz is dead. That does not, however, mean that the case is closed for the security authorities. Investigations will continue, announced Chancellor Angela Merkel.
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"The death of the suspected attacker does not mean that investigations will be wound up in this case," said Chancellor Angela Merkel. She announced that the authorities will be investigating the background to the attack and any possible supporters of the alleged perpetrator Anis Amri. The security authorities "will not rest until they have ascertained who knew about Amri’s plans, and who might have supported him or given him cover. If there are other guilty parties, or helpers’ helpers, they will be called to account."
She and the entire German government believe "that it is the primary duty of the state to protect the people. At this time, in which we face major challenges, we will do all that is possible to ensure that our state is a strong state," stressed the Chancellor.
The 24-year-old Anis Amri is urgently suspected of being the man behind the truck attack on Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz on Monday 19 December. He was shot on 23 December by Italian police officers in Milan following a routine identity check.
"Islamist terrorism and its acts keep challenging us in new ways," the Chancellor continued. In recent years, the German government "has regularly modified laws and security policy to bring them into line with the new challenges we face". The attack at Berlin’s Breitscheidplatz throws open a whole series of questions which relate not only to the attack itself but to the period that preceded it, since Amri arrived in Germany in July 2015.
The Chancellor has thus asked Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière "to analyse very swiftly every aspect of this case in conjunction with the Federal Minister of Justice, the Federal Chancellery, their colleagues within the individual federal states, and the security authorities".
"Where the need is seen to make political or legislative changes, we will agree rapidly on the necessary steps within the German government and translate these into practice," said the Chancellor.
In a telephone call with Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, the Chancellor has discussed this case. Germany and Tunisia have significantly stepped up cooperation on combating terrorism, said Angela Merkel. Progress has also been made on repatriating Tunisian citizens who have no residence entitlement in Germany.
The Chancellor reported that she had made it clear to the President that "we will have to significantly accelerate the repatriation process and increase the number of individuals repatriated".