After a 29-year-old drove amok on Tauentzien in Charlottenburg on June 8, the state of Berlin contacted 124 victims. This was reported by Justice Senator Lena Kreck (left) on Tuesday after a Senate session. These are the injured, first responders and eyewitnesses to the incident last week in which a woman died.

Most of those addressed came from other federal states, said Kreck – the dead man was a Hessian teacher traveling with students, several of whom were also injured, some seriously. The “Central Contact Point for Victims of Terrorist Attacks and Major Damage Events and Their Relatives”, which is part of their administration, is responsible for communicating and coordinating the offers of help. One also takes care of the networking with regional help offers at the place of residence of those affected, said Kreck.

The senator emphasized that Berlin had learned from the mistakes it made after the terrorist attack on Breitscheidplatz in 2016. Those affected at the time “suffered massively” from the fact that the available support services were not brought together centrally. “As a result, these people had to independently seek out offers of help in this difficult phase of their lives,” said Kreck. Thanks to the central contact point founded in 2018, everything should be better this time.

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Kreck also promised those affected, eight of whom are currently still being treated as inpatients in Berlin, constant support: “Berlin not only helps in the short term, but is available in the medium and long term.” They have a difficult road ahead of them.

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A non-public meeting with the people contacted is planned “soon”, together with the governing mayor Franziska Giffey (SPD), herself, the contact point, the emergency pastoral care and other advice centers, said Kreck.

The Justice Senator also referred again to the advice phone set up by her administration, which those affected by the rampage can call 24 hours a day and free of charge to receive initial psychosocial support. The phone number is 0800-000 9547.