A passerby at the Berlin Ostkreuz train station had a knife plunged into his back by a 29-year old Iraqi in the early morning of April 19th. According to reports, the Iraqi first jostled his victim before knifing him. The victim was able to find safety with railroad security personnel, who held the Iraqi until police arrived.
When the perpetrator was arrested, it was discovered that he was already urgently wanted. A total of 5 warrants for arrest had been issued against the Iraqi, 4 for theft, 1 for violating the narcotics law. In addition to several fines, the offender had previously been sentenced to 6-8 months in prison. The sentences were never carried out because the Iraqi repeatedly disappeared and the police were unable to locate him.
The 46-year-old victim was hospitalized, but his condition is unknown. The perpetrator is being investigated on suspicion of committing dangerous bodily harm and, as he was carrying drugs at the time of the crime, a violation of the Narcotics Act.
Knife attacks in public transport, especially by Muslim immigrants, have been on the rise in Germany in recent years. However, these incidents have almost disappeared from coverage in the media, with the tabloid BILD being the only major news outlet reporting on the incident. However, a column in the Berliner Zeitung pointed out the danger of becoming desensitized to these kinds of incidents by their normalization.
