The parents of Marius Dick, the 22-year-old history student stabbed to death in Trier last week, have spoken publicly for the first time, urging the German federal government to do more to protect citizens from such attacks.
The parents of 22-year-old Marius Dick have called on Germany’s federal government to take stronger action to protect citizens, following the fatal knife attack that killed their son in Trier last Wednesday. Speaking publicly for the first time in an article published on Welt.de, they said “something has to change in Germany.” Marius was stabbed to death by another young man of the same age, of Afghan origin, in an attack police say was random, with no known connection between the two men. The accused has confessed to the killing and is currently being held in a forensic psychiatric facility.
The attack
According to investigators, the attack took place at around 10am on 15 July on Robert-Schuman-Allee, close to the University of Trier, as Marius was walking home after shopping at a supermarket. Police believe the suspect used a kitchen knife and stabbed Marius at least twice in the upper body before fleeing the scene. He was arrested a short time afterwards nearby. Investigators say the suspect may have emerged from behind a hedge before the attack, though the exact sequence of events is still being established.
Police have said there is still no evidence of a motive, and all indications suggest Marius was a random victim who did not know his attacker. The suspect admitted to the stabbing immediately after his arrest but has otherwise declined to make any further statement to investigators.
Suspect’s background and legal proceedings
Prosecutors have confirmed the suspect has been placed in a secure forensic psychiatric hospital, citing indications that he was suffering from a mental illness and had recently received psychiatric treatment. A court-ordered psychiatric assessment is now under way to determine whether he was criminally responsible at the time of the attack. The investigation is currently being conducted as a suspected manslaughter case, and prosecutors have said it is likely to continue for several weeks while forensic and psychiatric evidence is gathered.
Marius Dick
Marius was a history student at the University of Trier and had just completed his final bachelor’s examination before the attack. According to his parents, he had been planning to begin a master’s degree in military history in Potsdam after graduating.
Around 1,000 students and staff gathered at the University of Trier for a minute’s silence in his memory, while flowers and candles were placed at the scene of the attack. His former school, Sickingen-Gymnasium in Landstuhl, also paid tribute to him, describing his death as a devastating loss to the school community. His hometown of Landstuhl has opened a book of condolences for members of the public wishing to pay their respects.
Political response
Marius’s parents, who are both local politicians for the CDU, said they hope his death will mark a turning point in Germany’s wider debate over public safety and knife crime. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz personally telephoned the family to offer his condolences and support, a conversation Marius’s father described as “very emotional.”
