Term:

Assault on persons by means of a multi-lane motor vehicle with intent to kill.

Phenomenology

Forms of appearance - Modes of commission - Means of commission

The most common form of collision of a vehicle with pedestrians is recorded in the accident statistics as "leaving the roadway with injured or killed pedestrians". The reason for such an accident is very often inappropriate speed (car racing), disorientation, other medical emergency or substance abuse. Basically, these are mostly negligently caused scenarios. Participants in illegal car races, however, have already been convicted as murderers because they "condoned the death of other people, i.e., acted with conditional intent to kill"^[1].

Amokfahrt

An act of driving over in the form of a so-called rampage, is "an intended attack with the help of a vehicle as a weapon, in which the killing or injury of several randomly or purposefully selected persons is intended or completed."^[2] Spree killings have occurred many times spontaneously and/or as a result of an event that occurred shortly before. The reasons can be manifold; however, they are often based on low motives, e.g., revenge against a bouncer who denied entry. In most cases, the person committing the crime tries to flee after the act.^[3] Intervention forces have a deterrent effect.

Amoktat

If, on the other hand, a planned act of crossing the border is committed as an amok crime, the violence is directed against as many victims as possible and often ends only with the death of the perpetrator.^[4] During the execution of the crime, the perpetrator largely suppresses or ignores the likelihood of the crime taking place by damaging the crime vehicle or by the intervention of intervention forces, since the aim is to achieve a high number of victims. As a conclusion of the amoctate, the perpetrator often tries to be killed by the intervention forces or to carry out the suicide by means of a weapon. Amok perpetrators, who commit acts of crossing for non-terrorist reasons, used carried weapons several times against themselves and intervention forces.

Terrorist attack

A terrorist attack differs from an amoctate mainly in the objective pursued. The aim is to use the high publicity to support a political goal. Therefore, from the perpetrator's point of view, the choice of crime scene and event is of decisive importance in such acts. The highest possible number of victims also plays a decisive role. The act of crossing is therefore preceded by precise preparation of the crime, which specifically relates to the selection of the crime location and event. In addition, a phase is often planned after the act of crossing, which provides for further victims. Untrained terrorists, in the stress of the crime, fail to fully execute the planned follow-up act. They also avoid contact with intervention forces. In contrast, terrorists with paramilitary training also target intervention forces during the night attack phase.

Tatvarianten

With the exception of the attack at Breitscheidplatz, the terrorists entered the protected area slowly and only accelerated in the protected area. The aim of all drive-by attacks is to surprise the victims suddenly and unexpectedly so that they are unable to escape.

Selection of crime vehicles

The analysis of the crime events is closely related to the theory of crime "rational choice".^[5] and show that the perpetrator often chooses the least costly means (obtaining the means, in this case the vehicle) in order to achieve his goal (causing as many victims as possible in a way that attracts public attention). This is evident in the selection of a vehicle for the crime. Smaller vehicles, such as those used by delivery services (occasionally even with the engine running), are more likely to be available. Larger vehicles, such as tractor-trailers with semitrailers, on the other hand, can only be procured with considerable effort during the crime preparation phase. The longer the preparation of the crime takes, the higher the risk of detection.

[1]https://www.rbb24.de/panorama/beitrag/2019/03/berlin-kudamm-raser-urteil-gefaellt.html

[2] Nitsche, K. (2018). Driving amok: An investigation with regard to phenomenology, classification, and the warning behavior typology. Unpublished master's thesis, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, page 62.

[3] Amokfahrten in Deutschland - Eine phänomenologische Annäherung und Untersuchung der Warnverhaltenstypologie in: forum kriminalprävention, Ausgabe 02/2020, Seiten 22-26 im Internet: https://www.forum-kriminalpraevention.de/amokfahrten-in-deutschland.html

[4] Police NRW- Amoktaten: Criminalistic-criminological research center - Analyses No. 3/2007.

[5]https://www.kriminologie-online.com/kriminalitaetstheorien/neutralisation-und-rational-choice/