Wanted to protect women

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The suspected perpetrator (18), who also seriously injured his victim in the second knife attack in Favoriten, was caught by the police shortly afterwards.(Bild: „Krone“-Leserreporter)

After the horrific knife attack on Sunday in Vienna-Favoriten, in which a 21-year-old man who wanted to protect a group of women was seriously injured, the suspect is still on the run. However, a short time later there was another knife attack in the same district. The attacker was apprehended. He is a Syrian who is only 18 years old.

The 21-year-old witness actually only wanted to help the women. But then a troublemaker suddenly chased him with a knife in the Reumannplatz area and stabbed the 21-year-old several times. He was able to save himself, but the group of youths fled. 

The injured man was immediately given medical treatment by the emergency services. "A tourniquet was applied to his thigh", the police reported on Monday. The police then immediately set out in search of the suspect. So far without success.

Another knife attack after Karner's visit
After the attack on Sunday, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) also went to the scene of the crime on Monday evening to get an idea of the police's focus on combating youth crime. The reason for this is the planned task force to combat youth crime (EJK), which is to carry out checks in public spaces, among other things. "If youth gangs are up to mischief, the police will intervene with the full force of the law," he assured. Shortly after Karner's visit, there was another knife attack.

After the knife attack in Vienna-Favoriten, the police caught the suspect.(Bild: „Krone“-Leserreporter)

After an extensive search operation, the suspected perpetrator (18) was caught by the police.(Bild: „Krone“-Leserreporter)

A short time later, the police managed to arrest the 18-year-old suspect who had stabbed the man at Reumannplatz and also seriously injured him. Police spokeswoman Julia Schick and Andreas Huber, spokesman for the professional rescue service, confirmed the incident. The murder weapon was also recovered.

In future, the EJK is to identify hotspots, identify members of youth gangs and quickly recognize new phenomena and initiate appropriate countermeasures. The findings of the task force will then also be incorporated into an interministerial working group.