The suspect was named in the German media as Anis Amri, a 23-year-old Tunisian refugee, but due to the country's strict privacy laws, the police would only confirm his first name.

A blurred image of the suspected killer was also released, but again privacy laws meant the German media was forced to blur the image, despite the fact he is on the run and wanted in connection with the deaths of 12 people.

But criticism over the failure to catch the suspect is matched by anger over the inability of the German intelligence agencies to prevent the attack before it happened.