Syrian teenager saves a young man from a knife attack
On the evening of December 16, 2024, the bus station in Dornbirn, Vorarlberg, Austria, witnessed a horrific assault attempt when a 53-year-old German man, clearly intoxicated, approached a group of teenagers and began verbally harassing them. When the young men tried to distance themselves from him, the man pulled out a knife and started chasing them.
In a pivotal moment, the attacker attempted to stab a young man in the neck, but stumbled before executing his act. At that moment, a 17-year-old Syrian boy reacted with astonishing speed, delivering a powerful punch to the attacker's face, knocking him to the ground and stopping the assault. Despite this brave act, the Syrian refugee found himself in court charged with "attempting to cause serious bodily harm." His lawyer, Erich Rico Foley, stated that what his client did was necessary to protect the victim and prevent something worse from happening. He demanded his acquittal.
As for the German perpetrator, he stated during the trial that he does not remember anything about the incident except for the moment of his arrest. Investigations indicate that he had consumed several glasses of beer in a nearby pub, and his blood alcohol level was recorded at 1.8 per thousand.
The court judge, Peter Novak, convicted the German attacker of serious threats and imposed a fine of 10,500 euros. In contrast, he acquitted the Syrian refugee, praising his actions by saying: "You acted appropriately and in the right order, starting with calling the police and then subduing the attacker with one punch." The ruling has become final.
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