A German court has sentenced a Saudi psychiatrist to life imprisonment for driving a car through a crowded Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, killing six people, including a nine-year-old boy, and wounding hundreds in one of the country’s deadliest attacks in recent years.The attack occurred on December 20, 2024, when the man, identified as Talib A., was driving a rented BMW through the holiday market. Sky News reported that prosecutors said the attack lasted just over a minute but left widespread destruction.Among the dead were five women between the ages of 45 and 75, along with nine-year-old Andre Gleissner. Hundreds of others were injured during the incident.Talib A., a Saudi-born psychiatrist who has lived in Germany since 2006, was convicted of six counts of murder and attempted murder of hundreds of people.The accused publicly expressed anti-Islamic views, supported far-right ideology, and frequently posted online what he described as the “Islamization of Europe.”The trial was held in a specially built courtroom, with Student A appearing inside a bulletproof glass fence for security reasons. While he apologized to the nine-year-old victim’s family during the proceedings, he also made frequent political statements about immigration and other issues.
Among those who testified was survivor Philippe Peplau, a trainee paramedic who was injured in the attack. In an interview with Sky News, he said that the festive atmosphere turned into chaos within seconds. He added: “It was four days before Christmas. There were a lot of children and families. In one second, there was blood, pain, screaming and crying.”Peplau told the court he helped treat several victims at the scene, including trying to resuscitate a woman who later died.