Ines W.
Died 23 August 2024
Who they were
Ines was 56 and a pharmacist.
What happened
On the evening of 23 August 2024, visitors in front of a stage at the 'Festival of Diversity' on the Fronhof square in Solingen were stabbed by a man who attacked people at random from behind. Three people died and eight were injured. Ines was one of those killed. In September 2025 the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court sentenced the attacker to life imprisonment with particular gravity of guilt.
Verdict / confirmation
Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf, 10 Sep 2025: life imprisonment for three murders and ten attempted murders, particular gravity of guilt; final after the Bundesgerichtshof rejected the appeal (May 2026).
Perpetrator: A 26-year-old Syrian asylum seeker whose transfer to Bulgaria under the Dublin rules had failed; he later received subsidiary protection (tagesschau). He professed allegiance to IS.