Knife attacks in Germany: A worrying increase!

Knife attacks in Germany: A worrying increase!

In recent days there have been increasing reports of knife attacks in various German cities. In the period between Wednesday evening and Friday afternoon there were several serious incidents involving not only physical injuries but also attempts at homicide. Apollo News reports that the police are currently investigating all cases.

An alarming development can be observed: in Berlin alone, a 51-year-old man was seriously injured by a knife stab while walking with his dog in the Volkspark Jungfernheide on Friday morning. The perpetrator asked him questions about his nationality before striking. The victim was taken to hospital, but his life is not in danger.

More incidents in different cities

In Villingen-Schwenningen, two Afghan nationals clashed in an asylum accommodation. A 32-year-old stabbed the 24-year-old with a knife and injured his hand and back. The suspected attacker was initially arrested, but was later released. Stern cites similar incidents, which have generated more media attention in recent years.

Another incident occurred in Dresden, where a 20-year-old Tunisian injured a Syrian man with a knife. An 18-year-old was also involved in the incident and was also slightly injured. In Stuttgart, a 27-year-old Syrian injured a 30-year-old in an argument on Königstrasse. Although the suspect was initially arrested, he was later released until he was taken into custody again.

Finally, there was also a serious attack in a refugee accommodation in Meschede. There the caretaker was attacked with a kitchen knife and suffered life-threatening injuries. The suspected perpetrator, a 36-year-old Turkish man, was arrested at the scene and is now in custody.

Statistics and backgrounds

The general increase in knife attacks has been discussed for several years. The discussion is heated up through reports of more and more incidents in which the perpetrators are of foreign origin. The Federal Criminal Police Office now keeps detailed statistics on knife attacks. In 2023 alone, over 8,900 such attacks were registered, an increase compared to previous years. Studies show that men are the main perpetrators of a large number of these crimes and that a large proportion of the suspects are over 21 years old.

Reporting on knife attacks shows a distorted picture of the actual situation. While a significant proportion of suspects are of foreign origin, the exact distribution and relationship to German suspects often remains unclear. In North Rhine-Westphalia, for example, over 42 percent of suspects are of non-German origin. Although this proportion is lower in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, public perception in recent years has been heavily influenced by horrific reports of violence perpetrated by foreign perpetrators.

The call for discussion is clear: What can we do to increase safety in our cities and reduce violent crime? The recent knife attacks raise questions that urgently need to be answered.