After knife attack at Spandau elementary school: Politicians remain silent

The 12-year-old victim is in the hospital, and the 13-year-old alleged perpetrator has since been arrested . Nevertheless, one day after the stabbing at an elementary school in Spandau on Thursday, attention is already turning to the possible consequences. How could this have happened? Were there any signs of the crime? Could security guards possibly have prevented it?

The school remains in shock even the day after the incident, and regular classes are out of the question. Emergency personnel and chaplains were already on site on Thursday, and the other students and parents were sent home. It will take some time before something resembling normal life can return to the school at Weinmeisterhorn, a middle-class single-family home development bordering a large green space in the neighboring state of Brandenburg.

After the bloodbath: The Spandau elementary school is in shock

Berlin police have long warned of an increasing propensity for violence among children and young people. As early as 2022 and 2023, Police Chief Barbara Slowik Meisel stated that she was "personally concerned" about the increase in crimes involving adolescents. "Unfortunately, this has increased. We are monitoring this development very closely," she said at the time.

The attacks often occur among themselves. Knives are also playing an increasingly important role. They are often used as a threat, for example, in robberies or for intimidation, but they are also used.

In 2024 and 2023, approximately 30 percent of knife-related offenders in Berlin were under 21 years old. According to Slowik Meisel, the police continue to register many young people under 18 and children under 14 as suspects with knives, for example, committing robberies or getting into fights.

In 2023, there were 3,482 registered knife-related crimes in Berlin. According to police, about half of these were knife-related threats. In 2024, the numbers were similarly high.

Stabbing at school: Police register more and more young offenders

But how is Berlin's politicians reacting to the current case? Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) declined to comment on the case even after the arrest on Friday. When it came to the circumstances of a knife attack on a police officer in Neukölln a few days earlier, she was very active.

On the occasion, Spranger said: "This terrible incident demonstrates once again the danger posed by knives. There is no justification for carrying a knife in public at the ready. Anyone who carries a knife at the ready bears considerable responsibility for the damage it can cause." Regarding the case at the Spandau school, however, Spranger referred to her colleague, Education Senator Katharina Günther-Wünsch (CDU), who was responsible.

Günther-Wünsch's administration said the school acted quickly and responsibly after the stabbing. This included being immediately informed of the incident on Thursday. Senator Günther-Wünsch immediately sought a personal meeting with the school administration, a spokesperson said. During the meeting, she expressed her "deep shock and dismay."

However, the senator was also unavailable for a personal statement on Friday. A spokesperson said she was at the Conference of Youth and Family Ministers in Hamburg all day. However, she is regularly updated on the status of the situation.

A few days earlier, Katharina Günther-Wünsch had caused controversy when she refused to comment on a case of bullying involving a homosexual teacher at a primary school in Berlin-Mitte. In the plenary debate of the Berlin House of Representatives, she pointed out that she "generally does not provide information on individual personnel matters."

The situation at the school itself was as follows on Friday: The school had sent a letter to parents stating whether or not to send their children to school. Many had sent their children anyway, while others hadn't.

The school administration further stated that the school administration remains in close contact with the relevant authorities. The school's crisis team and the School Psychological and Inclusive Pedagogical Advisory and Support Center (SIBUZ) are involved and available to provide support.

Spandau elementary school: House rules prohibit knives

Nevertheless, the question remains whether and how the crime could have been prevented. The Weinmeisterhorn School's house rules state: "Dangerous objects (knives, fireworks, laser pointers, and other items) are not permitted to be brought into school."

But what happens if someone doesn't comply, as in the current case? Is someone actively preventing them from bringing a knife? As it turns out, that wasn't the case. The Weinmeisterhorn Elementary School doesn't have security. The debate about whether security should be installed has only just begun.

Primary school in Spandau: Responsible district office does not comment

Of particular interest in this regard is the actions of the Spandau District Office. As the school's sponsor, the authority is responsible for the property and its facilities, but also for any security guards, which it would also have to pay for. The district would have to approach the Senate Education Administration with such a request. The Senate Education Administration would review the request and likely not oppose it, according to information released on Friday.

As of Friday afternoon, no comment had been received from Spandau. The district's education department responded to an inquiry from the Berliner Zeitung: "The district office is currently unavailable for comment."