PUBLIC DEFENDER SAYS WUERZBURG KNIFE ATTACK SUSPECT POSSIBLY SUICIDAL

The public defender for a man accused of launching a deadly knife attack in the southern German city of Wuerzburg thinks it is possible that his client could harm himself while in pretrial detention, Angelika Resenhoeft anad Carolin Gissibi reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

"What I noticed is that he is in obvious psychological distress," lawyer Hanjo Schrepfer told dpa on Sunday. Investigators also apparently see this danger.

"The prison in charge has been informed about possible self-endangerment," said a spokesperson for the State Criminal Police Office in Munich. He did not know what precautions had been taken there.

The suspect is in prison in Wuerzburg - facing charges for triple murder, attempted murder, and dangerous bodily harm in six other cases and intentional bodily harm in one other case.

The 24-year-old from Somalia is alleged to have killed three women in the city center on Friday.

In addition, according to the police, he critically injured three other women, a girl and a youth with a knife, and slightly injured a man and another woman.

Schrepfer says he is now waiting to see the files. "I need the investigation files as soon as possible." In custody cases, it usually takes seven to 10 days. "I need the witness statements."

Before that, he said, there was little point in talking to his client about what had happened.

It's still unclear two days after the attack to what extent the man's mental state played and whether he specifically wanted to kill women.

Bells rang for several minutes during a memorial service on Sunday at the Wuerzburg Cathedral attended by the victims' relatives as well as political leaders and representatives from civic organizations.

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