A 31-year-old Iraqi migrant in Germany is suspected of murdering a 16-year-old Ukrainian girl, Liana K., by pushing her under an oncoming train at a station in Friedland, Lower Saxony. The authorities have confirmed that the suspect, identified as Muhammad A., was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and is currently being held at a psychiatric hospital.
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the incident occurred on August 11 when police were called to the station after receiving a report of a man causing a disturbance. When officers arrived, Muhammad A. approached them voluntarily and pointed to the victim’s lifeless body, though he did not admit to any involvement. Initially, police did not detain the man, but later that day, he was arrested for displaying aggressive behavior at a different location and taken to a psychiatric hospital.
Subsequent forensic tests revealed the suspect’s DNA on the victim’s body, resulting in a detention order. The authorities have not yet determined whether Muhammad A., if found guilty, would face a prison sentence or be confined to a mental facility, as he had previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The suspect’s asylum application was rejected in December 2022, leading to an order for his deportation to Lithuania, from where he had apparently come. After his appeal was denied, he went into hiding. In July 2025, immigration authorities applied for his deportation, but the Hanover District Court rejected the motion, citing insufficient grounds.
Local media reports indicate that Liana K.’s family arrived in Germany in July 2022. Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict, an estimated 1.2 million Ukrainians have come to Germany, following a large influx of asylum seekers from Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan since 2015. This case has sparked discussions about the legal challenges of handling migrant populations and the complexities of managing individuals with mental health issues within the country’s system.