Mother's relentless fight for justice after Hanau's racist massacre

A mother's grief fuels a movement for accountability. Why has Hanau failed to act four years after the deadly racist rampage?

, and Administrator

2026 March 3 . 2:46 PM

1 min read

The image shows a group of people walking down a street, holding a banner with text and images on... — The image shows a group of people walking down a street, holding a banner with text and images on it. On the left side of the image, there is a car parked on the road. In the background, there are buildings, trees, sign boards, poles, a clock tower, and a clear blue sky. The people are wearing masks, suggesting that they are participating in a protest against racism.

Mother's relentless fight for justice after Hanau's racist massacre

Emine Gürbüz lost her eldest son, Sedat, in the Hanau racist massacre on February 19, 2020. Nine people were killed that night, and Sedat was just 29 years old. Since then, Gürbüz has demanded urgent changes to prevent further racist violence.

A year after the attack, Gürbüz spoke at the official memorial ceremony in Hanau. She criticised the city's and Germany's failures in tackling racism, calling for real action. Her words were met with backlash from local CDU, FDP, and SPD leaders, who accused her of inappropriate behaviour.

She remains active in the February 19 Initiative, a group founded by survivors and victims' families. Their motto, 'To remember means to change,' reflects her determination. Gürbüz also attended sessions of the Hanau investigative committee in the Hessian state parliament, describing the process as painful and disappointing.

While federal measures—like an expert group on anti-Muslim hostility and 89 anti-extremism actions—were introduced after the attack, no specific city-level steps in Hanau have been documented. Reports instead highlight ongoing failures, including lax bar safety checks, police mishandling of emergency calls, and ignored weapon permit issues.

Gürbüz finds strength in solidarity with others who have lost loved ones to racism. She insists that such violence must never happen again and that society must act now.

Gürbüz continues to push for accountability and change. Her calls highlight the gaps between national policies and local action in Hanau. Without concrete steps, she warns, the risk of further racist violence remains.