German police on Thursday in the city of Hanau near Frankfurt am Main detained a man suspected of drawing swastikas. He drew the Nazi symbol on dozens of cars, boxes and walls of houses with his own blood. The DPA agency drew attention to this, reports TASR.
Police detained a 31-year-old citizen of Romania in his apartment based on a tip from a witness. He was under the influence of alcohol and the police attributed the incident to personal problems. He will undergo a psychiatric examination. The police suspect the Romanian of damaging foreign property and of using symbols of unconstitutional organizations, which is a criminal offense in Germany.
The swastika on the hood of the car was reported to the police by the first victim on Wednesday evening. Subsequently, almost 50 painted cars were found. The incident caused outrage in the city. In Hanau five years ago a German right-wing extremist killed nine people, including himself and his mother, in a mass shooting in three bars. He focused on persons of foreign origin, especially from the Middle East.
“Especially in our city, which was severely affected by the racist attack of February 19, 2020, such an act is extremely appalling.” Mayor Claus Kaminsky said on Thursday. “Swastikas have no place in Hanau. We will not allow such symbols to spread fear or division,” he added.
