Three-year-old Iraqi refugee dies in accident while playing at a 'welcome party' in Germany
He was attending the party with his parents and nine-year-old brother
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A three-year-old refugee from Iraq died at a welcoming party shortly after he arrived in Germany, having undertaken a 3,000 mile journey across Europe.
The boy, who has not been named, was playing on rope hanging between two large flower pots.
One of the pots fell over as he played, crushing him.
He was attending the party with his parents and nine-year-old brother in the town of Eschweiler, in the west of the country.
The party was organised by local residents and aid groups for newly-arrived refugees. The boy and his family had arrived in Germany just four weeks earlier, after having made the long and difficult journey from Iraq.
Speaking to Reuters, state prosecutor Jost Schuetzeberg said that an autopsy had been ordered and added that there were no suspicions that a crime had been committed.
A spokesman for the city, Rene Costantini, said the boy's family had been offered psychological help and support, calling it "a very tragic accident."
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments