Two girls and a boy from North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, have been charged with planning an Islamic terrorist attack. The suspects, aged 15 and 16, have been discussing potential targets including churches, courtrooms, and police stations.
The Düsseldorf Public Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against three teenagers from North Rhine-Westphalia for allegedly planning an Islamist terror attack. The suspects have been in pre-trial detention since Easter, with a court recently ordering an extension of their detention. The group consists of a girl from Düsseldorf, another teenager from Iserlohn, and a male teenager from Lippstadt.
The teenagers reportedly discussed their plans via the messaging service Telegram, considering potential attacks on churches, courtrooms, railway stations, and police stations. While the suspects have commented on the allegations, specific details of their statements have not been made public.
Islamic State connection and evidence
The ideology of the “Islamic State” (IS) reportedly played a role in the planning. Prosecutors have charged the teenagers with declaring their willingness to commit a crime and preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state. A fourth suspect from Ostfildern in Baden-Württemberg has had their case separated and transferred to the Stuttgart Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Police in Hagen first became aware of the 16-year-old from Iserlohn due to indications that she wanted to travel abroad to join IS, plans she apparently shared with the girl from Düsseldorf. Investigators discovered chats about concrete attack plans on the Düsseldorf girl’s phone.
Although there was no plan with a fixed time and location for an attack, one of the teenagers allegedly gathered information about police stations in Dortmund. During searches in Düsseldorf, security forces found a machete and a dagger.
The father of the girl from Düsseldorf had previously caught attention as a suspected terror supporter. He was under investigation for allegedly collecting donations for IS.
