A 23-year-old Afghan national has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a man in the neck and shoulder in the town of Pöchlarn, in Austria’s Melk district, on Tuesday afternoon.
The victim, a 32-year-old man from St. Pölten, suffered minor injuries and was treated on an outpatient basis at the Landesklinikum Amstetten following the attack, which took place shortly before 5:00 p.m.
According to police spokesman Johann Baumschlager, the suspect was detained near the scene, close to a supermarket, soon after the incident. Authorities said he carried out the attack while under the influence of alcohol, using a folding knife with a blade approximately five centimetres long. The weapon was later recovered.
The suspect is being investigated on suspicion of attempted murder and is currently being held in St. Pölten prison. The motive remains unclear, although police believe the two men may have known each other.
The case comes amid heightened public concern over violent crime in Austria. Interior Ministry data shows that reported rape cases rose from 826 in 2015 to 1,359 in 2024—an increase of more than 60%. The number of suspects also climbed over the same period, reaching 1,196 in 2024 before falling slightly to 1,147 in 2025.
The share of foreign nationals among suspects has also increased, from 36.3% in 2015 to 46.9% in 2025, despite accounting for around one-fifth of the population. Among these, Syrians have seen the sharpest rise, while Afghans consistently account for around 50 suspects annually.
