In the meantime, the victim is no longer in life-threatening condition.
The confrontation developed on the day of the thunderstorm: an 18-year-old Romanian got into a fight with a 15-year-old Syrian in the afternoon and the latter was lightly injured. He then filed a complaint.
Later that day, around 6:45 pm, the 15-year-old Syrian, accompanied by his 24-year-old brother and another acquaintance, attacked the 18-year-old Romanian in the city center of Schwerte.
“The 18-year-old was beaten and fled in the direction of a police car”according to the press release from the Dortmund Police Headquarters. The police car was on the scene due to a reported shoplifting, which was unrelated to the stabbing incident.
“The 15-year-old followed him and stabbed him multiple times in the back. The victim collapsed in front of the police car”the statement said.
The young man was flown to a specialized clinic in Bochum with multiple stab wounds in his back. The young stabber and his two companions were arrested. However, there must be further participants involved – the authorities are speaking of an “altercation involving six people.”The Hagen Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating attempted murder.
The cause of the initial dispute is still unknown. The sequence of events suggests that the other two people involved in the altercation may have been part of the victim’s circle and this evening may be the beginning of a longer conflict.
In 2023, there were more than 3,500 knife attacks in North Rhine-Westphalia, resulting in 15 deaths and 288 severe injuries. According to the police, Syrian nationals made up 23 percent of non-German suspects. A separate count of such crimes has only been kept since 2020.