The tragic killing of 20‑year-old sparks debate on migrant integration
9:22 AM EDT, June 30, 2024
20-year-old Philippos Tsanis, whose mother is Polish and father is Greek, was beaten to death in Germany. The incident occurred in Bad Oeynhausen, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the western part of the country. The attack occurred while he was returning with two friends from his sister's prom. "The system has reached its limits," said the town's mayor.
The incident occurred on June 23. On the night from Saturday to Sunday, around 7:30 PM EDT, Philippos Tsanis was walking with two friends through the neighboring spa gardens. He had been at his sister's graduation ceremony at the Imperial Palace earlier. There, Tsanis was attacked by a group of ten men. According to the police, it happened "suddenly" and "frontally," the German newspaper Bild writes.
He died three days after the attack
The 20-year-old was kicked, among other places, in the head. The attackers calmed down only when witnesses called the police. The man was taken to the hospital in serious condition. Doctors diagnosed him with a brain hemorrhage. He died three days after the attack.
"It was a cold-blooded murder. I can't believe my son is gone, that he died in such a way," said the distraught mother of Philippos Tsanis. "He just wanted to have a good time at his sister's prom. His life was just beginning. This violence must stop. This could have happened to any child; no parent should experience this," added his father, Dimitris.
The perpetrator is an 18-year-old migrant
The main assailant was reportedly an 18-year-old Syrian who was well-known to the police. The man was arrested. As reported by the police and the prosecutor on Thursday, the 18-year-old has not yet commented on the charges of involuntary manslaughter and grievous bodily harm.
According to information from Die Welt, the assailant is a Syrian who arrived in Germany in 2016. Initially, the authorities said it was 2018. The information has been corrected, and the nationality has been confirmed.
Among the suspects are at least three other Germans aged 18. Investigators stated that the number of individuals involved in the crime is "subject to ongoing investigation."
"The system has reached its limits"
A week after the incident, residents of Bad Oeynhausen gathered in the park where the attack took place to pay tribute to the deceased 20-year-old. "The town is immersed in deep mourning. There is great horror and bewilderment," said the mayor of the town, Lars Bökenkröger, to the newspaper Bild.
He acknowledged that municipalities must create housing for refugees and day-care centers. "We need to ensure the development of schools and provide full-time places. We must ensure integration and social inclusion. We have a growing number of cases leading to skyrocketing social costs. Next, we must see how we deal with our children and youth, regardless of whether they are Germans or from a migrant background," he added.
The town's mayor also emphasized that "the system has reached its limits in terms of places and integration." "This will no longer work. If we have schools where 90% of the children have migrant backgrounds, it will be difficult to teach that subject and promote integration. This no longer works," he added.
