Berlin, Dec 19 (CTK correspondent) – Germany failed in the case of the terrorist attack and the police command should assume responsibility for the failure and step down, Petr Cizmar, the husband of a Czech victim of the attack which occurred a year ago in Berlin, said on Tuesday.
On December 19, 2016, a terrorist drove with a truck into a Christmas market crowd in the centre of Berlin, killing 12 people including a Czech woman. About 50 people were injured.
“This is simply a serious problem which exists here, this is a reality that the whole state failed in such a way. A series of big mistakes occurred on the part of the police, secret services and so on,” Cizmar said.
He said he was tired of constantly reading about new errors in the case of the perpetrator of the attack.
The German authorities shadowed Tunisian Islamist Anis Mari, who used a number of false identities, for months, knowing that he breaches the law, selling drugs. Despite this, he was not detained.
Investigation into the case also uncovered failings in the communication between secret services of the individual federal lands.
This is why in early December the families of the victims of the attack sent an open letter to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, sharply criticising her.
On Monday, Cizmar asked Merkel personally during her meeting with the rest of the victims’ family members about the errors committed by the authorities. She promised to make a thorough investigation.
“This is a step in the right direction. Definitely, the affair must be investigated and it must be found out what really happened and where the mistake was,” Cizmar said.
He said there was high time for someone to assume responsibility for the errors.
Along with his son and German top representatives, Cizmar took part in the ceremony unveiling the memorial to the victims of the attack on Tuesday.
