02:42Germany: Locals from hometown of 16-yo girl who joined IS ready to take her back
Locals from the small German town of Pulsnitz gave their take on the life choices of one former resident, Linda Wenzel, a German teenager who was arrested in Mosul last week after it was discovered that she had been fighting with the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISISL).
The 16-year-old disappeared from the town just outside Dresden in 2016, and was only recently discovered by Iraqi Special Forces in Mosul during the anti-IS coalition operation to retake the city.
Currently being held in Baghdad, she is suspected of having converted to Islam and joining IS. However, she has reportedly stated that she regrets joining the militant organisation and wants to come home to her family.
Back in Wenzel’s hometown, one group of locals decided to erect banners around the picturesque Saxon town, demanding that the mayor do more to counter the spread of extremist ideologies in the area.
One local that helped organise the action, Carsten Meissner, said that "If you generalise the case of Linda, you have to admit that young people in our country are not capable of defending themselves against extremist ideology because of a lack of identity and education leading to a situation where a 15 year-old is ready to fight in a so-called holy war.”
"I blame multiple institutions that Linda went down the wrong road such as the family, the school, and the church.”
Others focused on bringing the German teenager back home; "The girl is 16 and got into this mess at 14, or 14 and a half, via the internet or whatever. I think she should return. Everyone has the right to make a mistake and everyone should get their second chance.”
Another local added that it was “good she has been found and that she can be helped with her health problems and perhaps also the child [that was found with her].”
Confirming that Wenzel and the German national discovered in Iraq were one and the same person, senior public prosecutor in Dresden Lorenz Haase has said that the teenager was receiving consular support, but could not give any information about her prosecution or the chance of her return to Germany.
02:42Locals from the small German town of Pulsnitz gave their take on the life choices of one former resident, Linda Wenzel, a German teenager who was arrested in Mosul last week after it was discovered that she had been fighting with the so-called Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISISL).
The 16-year-old disappeared from the town just outside Dresden in 2016, and was only recently discovered by Iraqi Special Forces in Mosul during the anti-IS coalition operation to retake the city.
Currently being held in Baghdad, she is suspected of having converted to Islam and joining IS. However, she has reportedly stated that she regrets joining the militant organisation and wants to come home to her family.
Back in Wenzel’s hometown, one group of locals decided to erect banners around the picturesque Saxon town, demanding that the mayor do more to counter the spread of extremist ideologies in the area.
One local that helped organise the action, Carsten Meissner, said that "If you generalise the case of Linda, you have to admit that young people in our country are not capable of defending themselves against extremist ideology because of a lack of identity and education leading to a situation where a 15 year-old is ready to fight in a so-called holy war.”
"I blame multiple institutions that Linda went down the wrong road such as the family, the school, and the church.”
Others focused on bringing the German teenager back home; "The girl is 16 and got into this mess at 14, or 14 and a half, via the internet or whatever. I think she should return. Everyone has the right to make a mistake and everyone should get their second chance.”
Another local added that it was “good she has been found and that she can be helped with her health problems and perhaps also the child [that was found with her].”
Confirming that Wenzel and the German national discovered in Iraq were one and the same person, senior public prosecutor in Dresden Lorenz Haase has said that the teenager was receiving consular support, but could not give any information about her prosecution or the chance of her return to Germany.