Alexander, 49, a Ukrainian soldier who had fought against Russian forces, was stabbed to death by his 15-year-old son in Dortmund, Germany.
New Delhi: A 15-year-old boy who converted to Islam around a year before the crime has been arrested after allegedly stabbing his father, Ukrainian soldier Alexander to death at their home in Dortmund, Germany. Police are investigating whether the alleged killing was linked to family conflict, possible radicalisation, or another motive.
Alexander, 49, had previously fought in Ukraine against Russian forces. After moving with his family to Germany, however, the Ukrainian soldier met his death at the hands of his own son, Kevin, who is accused of stabbing him while his father was lying on a couch in their apartment in Dortmund’s Horde district.
The victim suffered two stab wounds, with the injuries reportedly piercing his lung and heart. Emergency responders attempted to save Alexander, but their efforts were unsuccessful. He died at the scene, covered in blood. Kevin, who reportedly called emergency services himself after the stabbing, was arrested at the apartment and is now in pre-trial detention.
Neighbours described Alexander as kind and polite. According to information reported by BILD, investigative sources said that Kevin had converted to Islam approximately a year before the killing. The newspaper also reported that the homicide squad is examining whether the teenager may have undergone radicalisation, although investigators have not established whether this was connected to the murder.
Friends of the teenager reportedly told BILD that Kevin owned a Qur’an, prayed daily on a rug in his bedroom and regularly attended a mosque. However, these facts alone do not establish a motive, and German police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the stabbing and killing.
The case has also drawn attention to Qur’an verse 60:4, in which Abraham and his followers are depicted as saying to their relatives who rejected their faith: “We have done with you. And there has arisen between us and you hostility and hatred forever, until you believe in Allah alone.” The verse presents Abraham and his followers as openly repudiating and disassociating themselves from relatives who rejected belief in Allah alone, declaring enduring enmity and hostility until those relatives accepted that faith.
Investigators are also examining a possible domestic motive. Police are t examining whether Kevin, attacked his father following another family argument or whether other factors, including possible Islamist radicalisation, played any role. The exact motive remains unclear.
Ali Mojab, 36, has taken over the teenager’s defence. The lawyer told BILD that the exact circumstances of the alleged crime must first be clarified. He also said it would need to be examined whether the teenager’s call to emergency services could legally be considered a voluntary withdrawal from the offence and potentially affect criminal liability.
