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Brave US citizen injured: knife attack shakes Dresden!
In Dresden, an American was seriously injured in a knife attack on a tram after he had shown moral courage.
Brave US citizen injured: knife attack shakes Dresden!
On a shocking night on Sunday, August 27, 2025, an incident occurred on a tram on line 7 in Dresden that made the city's citizens sit up and take notice. Two men harassed several female passengers, prompting a courageous intervention from Jonathan Rudat, a 20-year-old American. Rudat was injured in the face with a knife and had to be taken to hospital with a deep cut. Fortunately, his life was never in danger and he has since left the hospital. However, the investigation into this matter is only at the beginning.
Jonathan Rudat, who reported the incident on his Instagram account, described the attack as "insane" and mentioned that the perpetrator may have been under the influence of drugs. The situation quickly escalated when the 21-year-old Syrian suspect was initially temporarily arrested, but then released. However, new investigations led to the man being re-arrested, who is now in custody. The police are also actively looking for a second, fugitive suspect and are asking the public to help with information from witnesses. A police spokesman promised to press ahead with the investigation as the suspected murder weapon has not yet been found.
The city's response and community support
The response to Rudat's courageous act was overwhelming. Dresden's mayor Dirk Hilbert praised the young man for his efforts and wished him a speedy recovery. A fundraising campaign was also launched on GoFundMe, which quickly raised over $50,000 (approx. €43,000) to support Rudat's medical costs and aftercare. Such initiatives impressively show how important moral courage and community spirit are for society - especially in times when crime rates are rising alarmingly.
The police are not just dealing with this isolated case. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), there was a significant increase in knife attacks in Germany in 2023. The numbers are particularly worrying: 9.7% more dangerous and serious physical injuries and a 16.6% increase in robbery crimes. These developments encourage not only the police, but also society to think about the causes and background.
Reasons behind the increase in knife attacks
Experts see several potential causes for the rise in knife crime. The abolition of the Corona restrictions and the economic burdens caused by inflation could play a role here. Recent years have also seen an increase in the use of knives in conflict situations, while research shows that more and more young people are inclined to carry a knife.
The statistics show that in many federal states, with the exception of Brandenburg, knife attacks increased by an average of around 15% in 2023. This poses a challenge not only for security authorities, but also for society, which is looking for solutions to prevent such attacks in the future. The motorcycle of civil courage that Jonathan Rudat showed could be an important step in raising awareness of such issues.
In the next few weeks it will be crucial to see how the investigation progresses and what measures are taken to increase safety on Dresden's public transport. Stay tuned as we will keep you updated on developments in this explosive matter.
ZDFheute reports that...
Consumer Protection Forum provides further information.
Media service integration explains the background to knife crime in Germany.