Suspected left-wing extremists have carried out a butyric acid attack in Hamburg on the private car of Christoph de Vries, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of the Interior.
On Thursday morning, a car owner noticed a strong, foul odour coming from his car at his home address and reported it to the police later that day, a police spokeswoman said, without mentioning de Vries’ name.
Butyric acid is known for its unpleasant smell, which is said to be similar to rancid butter or vomit.
Following the discovery of a letter claiming responsibility entitled “Free all Antifas – Fire and Flames of Repression!” the State Security Department has launched an investigation into criminal damage. The statement, which was uploaded online, explicitly names the senior government official.
The incident came as Germany's federal and state interior ministers were meeting in Hamburg for a conference that began on Wednesday.
The talks focused in part on protecting the public from the consequences of disasters and other security threats.
