Relatives of Hanau attack victims in Germany testify at inquiry

Relatives of the victims of a racist shooting spree in Germany last year spoke for the first time on Friday at the public sessions of a committee of enquiry, reported dpa.

On February 19, 2020, a 43-year-old German man murdered nine people in the city of Hanau, before shooting dead his mother and himself.

Vaska Zladeva, whose cousin Kaloyan Velkov was killed, called for the circumstances of the crime to be clarified and for clear consequences.

"I want justice and the truth," she said.

The committee of enquiry in the Hesse state parliament is primarily concerned with the question of whether there was a failure by the authorities before, during and after the crime.

Zladeva described during her testimony how police only discovered her cousin about 25 to 30 minutes after arriving at the crime scene in the bar La Votre in the city centre.

After the attack, relatives were kept waiting for hours in front of the bar, she said, without being provided with any information or care.

She and her mother were only allowed to see Velkov's body five to six days later and only then after a DNA comparison. The autopsy had taken place without her consent, she said.

"We want those responsible to finally take responsibility. All those who made mistakes must be punished," Zladeva said.