Suspect in Hamburg stabbing was previously known to police

The 39-year-old woman suspected of having injured 18 people in a stabbing at the central train station in Germany’s Hamburg had previously come to the attention of the authorities, officials said on Sunday.

The woman, who hails from the northern state of Lower Saxony, has been known to police since 2021, a spokesman for the state Interior Ministry said.

“She appeared at police stations several times, showing clear signs of mental illness,” the spokesman said.

Police initiated criminal proceedings against the woman in several cases last year, according to the ministry.

Following an incident at the beginning of May, a court ordered her to be placed in a psychiatric hospital where she received treatment for three weeks.

The woman was discharged one day prior to Friday’s attack, the spokesman said.

Authorities in Lower Saxony say there was no indication that the suspect may have used a knife in previous incidents, nor does she have a firearms licence.

A magistrate ordered the woman to be placed in psychiatric care after she was detained following the stabbing on Friday.