Germany: Suspect charged over attack on pro-refugee mayor

BERLIN – German prosecutors have filed charges of attempted murder against a man accused of attacking the mayor of a small western town because of his welcoming stance toward refugees.

Andreas Hollstein, the mayor of Altena, was attacked with a kitchen knife at a local kebab restaurant in November and suffered a cut to his neck.

The state court in Hagen said Wednesday prosecutors have charged the 56-year-old suspect with attempted murder, bodily harm and intimidation and the trial is likely to start in May. Authorities have previously identified the suspect only as Werner S., in line with German privacy laws.

The mayor, a member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative party, became known for voluntarily taking in more asylum-seekers than Altena was obliged to since the height of the 2015-2016 migrant crisis.