Man deliberately drives into a group of people - custody dispute as a motive!

Man deliberately drives into a group of people - custody dispute as a motive!

On June 7, 2025, an alarming incident occurred in Passau at 3:30 p.m., in which a 48-year-old man from Iraq drove into a group of passers-by with his black Mercedes. The incident occurred in a residential street on the edge of the city center, near the train station. A total of five people were injured, including the 40-year-old wife of the driver and his five-year-old daughter. The police confirmed that three of the injured are seriously injured. Fortunately, nobody is in mortal danger.

According to the police, the driver was arrested immediately. It is assumed by an attempted homicide that may result from a custody dispute. The investigation is managed by the Passau criminal police inspection and the Passau public prosecutor. The police ruled out a terrorist act. Witnesses of the incident were asked to report, while passers -by who immediately informed the police could provide information.

possible relationship conflict

The alleged background of the incident is related to a custody dispute. The driver, who lives in the Passau area, was heard on Saturday, although it remained unclear whether he wanted to comment on the allegations. The decision about his detention is made on Sunday. The police assume that the man deliberately steered the vehicle into the group of people, which underlines the worrying nature of the incident.

The injured were taken to a hospital for treatment. The area of ​​application was secured until the evening and the accident car was removed with a crane. The police again point out that there has been no clear information about the relationships between the other injured people to the driver's family.

a worrying trend

The incident in Passau is involved in a worrying series of violent crimes that have increased in Germany in recent years. According to current statistics, violent crimes make up less than 4% of the crimes recorded by the police. Nevertheless, they strongly influence the feeling of security of the population. Around 217,000 violent crimes were registered in 2024, the highest number since 2007, and the figures show an alarming trend upwards since the low during the corona pandemic.

The Federal Criminal Police Office attributes the increasing figures to various factors, including economic uncertainties and social stress. The attacks on rescue workers that have reached a maximum of 2,740 acts of violence are also worrying.

The events in Passau not only raise questions about security in public space, but also after dealing with family conflicts in difficult situations. The custody dispute, which is considered a possible trigger for this incident, could indicate that the pressure can lead to desperate actions in such situations. Investigations and analyzes will have to bring further clarity.

For more information on the incident, please visit the articles from Mercury , rp online and the report on violent crime on Statista .