Marius Dick's parents demand stronger action after son's stabbing and political disappointment

Elke and Thomas Dick, whose 22-year-old son Marius was killed in a random knife attack in Trier, appeared again on one outlet to describe the lasting pain and their disappointment with the government. Chancellor Friedrich Merz had reached out once to offer sympathy, but the family says there has been no further contact. The father, a CDU supporter, urged his party to break the so-called "brand wall" with the AfD and to take concrete steps to improve security.

The attacker, Sajad Mirzaee, a 22-year-old Afghan who arrived in Germany in 2015, is currently held in a closed forensic psychiatric facility, and prosecutors are considering a verdict of criminal irresponsibility because of a pre-existing mental disorder. The Dicks find this prospect unacceptable, insisting the perpetrator be judged fully accountable. Their appeal follows a recent national mourning event in Frankfurt that saw no politicians attend and included a hostile encounter with a passerby who labeled the gathering a "Nazi event."