Terrorist attack in Germany.

I think his politics were completely all over the place and not logical - affiliations to different groups all over the place, ever more weird social media posts (tho none threatening violence).

I checked out a long CNN article"
Speaking to the German public broadcaster ZDF on Saturday, the president of the German Federal Office of Criminal Investigation Holger Münch

“The man also published a huge number of posts on the internet. He also had various contacts with the authorities, insults and threats. But he was not known for violent acts,”

he told ZDF, adding that the case will need to be looked at again “to check again whether we, as security authorities, have let something slip.”

Münch said the action of the suspect appeared to follow “a completely atypical pattern” – something some experts have also pointed out.

After 25 years in this ‘business’ you think nothing could surprise you anymore. But a 50-year-old Saudi ex-Muslim who lives in East Germany, loves the AfD and wants to punish Germany for its tolerance towards Islamists — that really wasn’t on my radar,” Peter Neumann, professor of security studies at King’s College London, wrote on X

Ultimately he hasn't done refugees and immigrants any favours as there will always be those who will "tar with the same brush", despite how much we need immigrants and how much we rely our multi cultural society.

and most of them were women that he tried to help.. who need all the help they can get

There are reports that some of those women were concerned about his behaviour towards them. I would be surprised if he was actually helping them.

Mt61

GrannyGravy13

I think it is easier to consider attacks like this as mental health issues because the alternative is just too dreadful to consider.

The alternative being just out right evil…

Yes exactly. If it’s not MH, then it’s evil beyond all comprehension!

Don't you think that evilness is a manifestation of a mental health issue?

I dont know. Does the opposite apply?
Is goodness a manifestation of good mental health.

MaizieD

Mt61

GrannyGravy13

I think it is easier to consider attacks like this as mental health issues because the alternative is just too dreadful to consider.

The alternative being just out right evil…

Yes exactly. If it’s not MH, then it’s evil beyond all comprehension!

Don't you think that evilness is a manifestation of a mental health issue?

Oh dear...

No: you cant simplify, and it isn't binary.

Well, I think there is something wrong with a person''s mind if they are evil.

Does it have a name?

Would 'psychotic' fit?

Or do folk think that humans are born evil and have to learn how to be 'good'?

No, it wouldn't fit.

I don’t think people are born evil, but I don’t really know how they become evil either. Sometimes it might be their experiences but often it seems to be just how they develop. I don’t know, it’s interesting, but I don’t know the answer.

Sorry that was abrupt MaizieD but there are so many different conditions that come under "psychosis" and many don't lead to "good or evil" some just a mixture like anyone else

and many far from meaning harmful can mean self harm, and many under the control of drugs mean that person isn't psychotic. ...maybe best left to experts to diagnose.

Well, 'psychotic' might not fit. I only asked.

But I still think that there is something mentally awry in people who are evil.

Those who are evil are often people with personality disorders I think, who may have, but not necessarily, mental health disorders too.

I think if you are thinking about evil then you are thinking about religion. It is part of the duelist belief of Abrahamic religions particularly. Heaven and hell, good and evil. I don’t think people are evil I think it is in the beliefs they choose to follow and those tendencies are encouraged by being followed by many. Why should this be so? Why is it attractive? I don’t know. It is usually very paternalistic and patriarchal. Think of the rewards of heaven for Muslims males… a thousand virgins. I don’t know what is promised to the women or perhaps they are not deemed to have souls, just the honor of serving a man. It is all very warped. As a woman I feel strongly about this. This man believed his feelings were more important than the lives and suffering of many. This is not unusual in those who have strong religious and patriarchal beliefs or unusual that they act in them.

I haven’t read the news or seen tv/radio today so apologies if I’ve missed something key.
From reading posts here, it sounds as though the perpetrator/murderer had become psychotic. Psychosis is a delusional state, during which people can be paranoid, which he seems to have been (believing ‘they’ were going to kill him)

I don’t see it as ‘playing the mh card’ to diagnose (and I’m not doing that) someone as being in a psychotic episode

What little we know so far is he’s been on the radar because of extremist posts, he was accused of sexual offence in South Africa. He deliberately drove a vehicle at people and murdered including children.

So many of these lone Woolf type killers have personality problems or disorders. That makes them vulnerable to mh problems, like psychosis. A perfect storm

X posted with you RocknRole - interesting point about the Muslim faith, the patriarchy and the thousand virgins

Yes, some kind of "perfect storm".

Current psychological thinking on what makes people as they are, unless you believe people are born evil,

is that its a combination of genetic and life-experiences make us what we are (but of course experts disagree on the extent)

Iam64
We have a neighbour who is a gentle soul, but, if he stops taking his meds he’s frightening.
He will come hammering on our doors at any time of night warning us of all sorts of danger.
The last time was 3 in the morning warning everyone about the bad people and we all had to meet up on the beach.
He was in a psychiatric unit for 6 months after that episode.
I’ve known him to ask who are you when saying good morning when he’s off his meds.

Casdon

Those who are evil are often people with personality disorders I think, who may have, but not necessarily, mental health disorders too.

But personality disorders are classed as mental health problems aren't they?

E.g Bpd

www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/overview/

MaizieD

Casdon

Those who are evil are often people with personality disorders I think, who may have, but not necessarily, mental health disorders too.

But personality disorders are classed as mental health problems aren't they?

E.g Bpd

www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/borderline-personality-disorder/overview/

My understanding is limited, but I think a personality disorder is a mental health condition, rather than a period of mental illness, it’s the make up of someone’s personality, which isn’t necessarily treatable, although management strategies can be put in place to help the person cope with life. People with personality disorders may have mental illnesses as well though. It would be good if somebody with a psychiatric background could explain better than I have.

People with personality disorders are not evil they are mentally unwell.. maybe the word evil could be applied to some psychopaths...

I think bringing a judgement of good and evil doesn't apply to someone who has paranoia or psychosis because it is a Mental Illness.

Psychopathy is a mental illness too. Partly genetic but also very much due to problems in early infancy'
The legal definition of mental illness as a reason not to try a person as a rational adult, I think if psychiatrists diagnose them with a temporary treatable loss of rationality then mental rehabilitation rather than penal servitude is deemed correct.

I don't think you can differentiate between "mental illness" and "mental condition" much as I can see why people want to. They are many and varied, the long term "conditions" like personality disorder, OCD, ADHS, autism, schizophrenia can be treatable or at least ameliorated, and the more familiar depression and anxiety can lead to catastrophy if not treated.None should be a cause for social stigma.

German newspapers I've read are reporting that the perpetrator intended to die in the attack. His last Will and Testament was found in the BMW car which he had rented just a week earlier.

That doesn't surprise me with what we have been told so far.

MaizieD it’s not that cut & dry-I dealt with all types of MH cases.
Some dangerous to themselves, others with bi-polar, severely depressed patients but never came across someone that wanted to murder so many people.
When I say pull the MH card, like Peter Sutcliffe who I thought tried to pull the wool over people eyes for an easier sentence.