Little Yannis, one of the victims of the tragic knife attack on January 22 in Aschaffenburg, Bavaria, has been laid to rest in his homeland. The two-year-old's family confirmed to German media that his remains have been repatriated to Morocco for burial. The interment took place this Wednesday in the village of Ras Tabouda, located in Sefrou province, near the grave of Yannis's recently deceased grandfather. «This will be the hardest journey of our lives», stated his uncle, Fakir Jaouad, in an interview with RTL. In the aftermath of the tragedy, a funeral prayer for Yannis was held in Germany, drawing nearly 1,000 mourners in Frankfurt, given the limited capacity of the Aschaffenburg mosque. The following day, a rally in support of the grieving family took place in their hometown, where the community continues to grapple with the loss. «His brother asks about Yannis all the time and says he wants to go to heaven too, to be with him», Fakir Jaouad shared with the German press. The attack occurred when an individual with mental health issues targeted a group of children exiting a daycare center. A 41-year-old German man died while attempting to intervene. Two others sustained serious injuries, including a two-year-old Syrian girl. The suspect, a 28-year-old Afghan national, had his asylum application rejected in December 2024. He was apprehended by bystanders while trying to flee and subsequently arrested by police. The assailant is currently in a psychiatric hospital.
