Christmas market attacker jailed for life for murdering six in Germany

A court in Germany has sentenced a man to life in prison for an attack on the Christmas market in Magdeburg in 2024, in which six people were killed.

The court imposed the maximum sentence on the defendant, Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen, who is from Saudi Arabia. The 51-year-old was found guilty of murder.

Prosecutors say he drove a rented BMW car at speeds of up to 48km/h (30mph) through the Christmas market in the centre of Magdeburg on 20 December 2024.

They say the attack took place at 19:02 local time when the market was very crowded with Christmas revellers celebrating at the gingerbread and mulled wine stalls. It lasted just a minute and four seconds.

A nine-year-old boy and five women between the ages of 45 and 75 were killed. Around 300 others were injured.

Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen was arrested immediately after the incident.

Prosecutors said he planned the attack well in advance and had acted alone. They said he was not pursuing any serious ideological goals, but acted primarily out of personal motives.

“The defendant’s sole concern was, and remains, himself,” the Chief Public Prosecutor Matthias Böttcher said.

A psychiatric expert said the man had narcissistic personality disorder and an overwhelming need for attention.

Taleb Al-Abdulmohsen told the court he had been motivated to carry out the attack because of conflicts with the German authorities. He said he was angry that the rights of Saudi women were being ignored.

He said very little about the attack itself.