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Christmas attack: Germany 'unprepared' for aftermath Christmas attack: German government admits mistakes in aftermath
(about 3 hours later)
Germany has acknowledged it was not prepared to deal with the aftermath of last year's attack on a Christmas market in Berlin that left 12 dead. Germany has admitted that mistakes were made in the aftermath of last year's attack on a Christmas market in Berlin that left 12 dead.
On the one-year anniversary of the attack, the justice minister has apologised for errors in the response. "Everything humanly possible" was being done to help those affected and improve security, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on the first anniversary of the attack.
Mrs Merkel has come under fire for her government's response.
Families have said they were not given timely information and that they were sent bills for the costs of autopsies.Families have said they were not given timely information and that they were sent bills for the costs of autopsies.
Chancellor Angela Merkel met victims' relatives for the first time, after being accused of "inaction". After a private ceremony for the bereaved and emergency workers, Mrs Merkel said it was time to work to "correct the things that went wrong".
In an open letter before the face-to-face meeting was announced, several family members said the chancellor had failed to reach out to them. "Not only to guarantee security, but to give those whose lives were destroyed or impacted, the chance to return to their lives as well as possible," she added.
"Almost a year after the attack, we note that you have not shared your condolences with us either in person or in writing." The chancellor also attended an event that unveiled a memorial for the victims at Berlin's Breitscheidplatz, the site of the Christmas market.
Mrs Merkel has visited the scene of the attack several times, including once since the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market in central Berlin reopened earlier this month. Several family members had accused Mrs Merkel of "inaction", saying that she had failed to reach out to them. She met victims' relatives for the first time on Monday, and described the conversation as "brutally honest".
A report commissioned by the government and released last week cited a number of failures in the response to the attack, including delays in confirming the identities of the victims to their relatives. Earlier, in an article in the Tagesspiegel newspaper (in German), Justice Minister Heiko Maas acknowledged the country was not "sufficiently prepared" for the consequences of such an attack, saying: "For this we can only apologise to the victims and surviving relatives".
On Tuesday, in an op-ed on Tagesspiegel newspaper (in German), Justice Minister Heiko Maas said the country was not "sufficiently prepared" for the consequences of such an attack.
"For this we can only apologise to the victims and surviving relatives. It remains a never-ending task of politics in a democratic constitutional state to learn from mistakes and to assume our responsibility towards the victims of terror."
He proposed the creation of a government co-ordination office to improve communication with victims of future attacks and called for a change in the law so that all victims could be treated and compensated equally, regardless of their nationalities or the circumstances of the attack.He proposed the creation of a government co-ordination office to improve communication with victims of future attacks and called for a change in the law so that all victims could be treated and compensated equally, regardless of their nationalities or the circumstances of the attack.
Mrs Merkel and President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will attend a church ceremony in Berlin marking the first anniversary. Later, at the same time of the attack, a memorial remembering the victims will be unveiled. A report commissioned by the government and released last week cited a number of failures in the response to the attack, including delays in confirming the identities of the victims to their relatives.
Anis Amri, a Tunisian asylum seeker who drove a lorry into the crowded market, was shot and killed in Italy four days after the attack.
A separate report in October revealed "gross mistakes" by German police and security services.A separate report in October revealed "gross mistakes" by German police and security services.
Anis Amri, a Tunisian asylum seeker who drove a lorry into the crowded market, was shot and killed in Italy four days after the attack.