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German authorities have decided that a Somali man who killed three women in a knife attack in Würzburg in 2021 will not be deported, saying sending him back to Somalia would pose a serious risk to public safety. The Munich Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that the man, identified as Abdirahman Jibril, will remain indefinitely in a secure psychiatric facility instead. Officials said that if Jibril were deported, there would be a high risk he could return to Germany and commit further violent acts.
The decision came after a psychiatric assessment concluded that Jibril still suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and remains a danger to society. Experts found that his mental illness continues to cause delusions and that he lacks awareness of his condition. Because of this, doctors and prosecutors agreed that releasing or deporting him could endanger others. The report also stated that his confinement could not be replaced with other measures, such as international arrest warrants or supervised treatment abroad.
Jibril, believed to be in his mid-30s, carried out the attack on June 25, 2021, in the city center of Würzburg, targeting random people with a knife near Barbarossaplatz. Three women, aged 25, 49, and 82, were killed, and nine others were injured. One of the victims was reportedly stabbed while trying to protect her young daughter. Witnesses said Jibril shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack before being shot and subdued by police. The violence shocked Germany and reignited debates about mental health, immigration, and public safety.
In 2022, the Würzburg Regional Court ruled that Jibril was not criminally responsible for his actions due to severe mental illness. Under Section 63 of Germany’s Criminal Code, the court ordered that he be placed indefinitely in a secure psychiatric hospital rather than a prison. Since July 2022, he has been held at a mental health facility in Lohr, about 30 kilometers from Würzburg, where doctors continue to monitor his condition.
His lawyer, Hanjo Schrepfer, supported the prosecutor’s decision, calling it “appropriate and legally sound.” Schrepfer said that Jibril’s therapy options remain limited because he still does not fully recognize his illness or understand the seriousness of his crime. The lawyer added that medical professionals are continuing to work with him, but progress has been slow.
Germany’s State Office for Refugees had earlier reviewed the possibility of deporting Jibril to Somalia, given that his asylum claim had been rejected years earlier. He first arrived in Germany from Italy in 2015, during Europe’s peak migration wave, and received temporary protection status even though his asylum application was denied. Authorities later determined that deportation would not be safe — both for Jibril himself and for the public — since Somalia lacks a secure system to ensure he would remain under medical supervision. Officials feared that if released, he could leave Somalia and return to Europe without restriction.
The prosecutor’s office emphasized that Jibril’s continued confinement in a psychiatric facility is necessary to protect the public. They said his case highlights the challenges faced by governments when dealing with violent offenders who are mentally ill and whose deportation would pose risks to others. While the decision not to deport him may be controversial, officials stressed that it was based on medical and legal grounds rather than political considerations.