Taken to the hospital unconscious

Violent Crime in the Innviertel: Woman Survives Stabbing

The violent incident took place in Mettmach.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

A horrific violent crime took place on Friday morning in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria. In Mettmach, a 37-year-old man attacked his 30-year-old ex-partner with a knife, stabbing her three times. The woman survived the attack, and the suspect was arrested—

Horrifying scenes unfolded Friday morning in an apartment in Mettmach. A violent argument had broken out between a 37-year-old man and his 30-year-old former partner. During the altercation, the Romanian man allegedly stabbed the woman twice in the back and once in the upper arm with a kitchen knife. The 30-year-old’s two children—ages 10 and 8, from a different father—were in another room at the time and are believed not to have witnessed the incident.

Escape to a Neighboring Town
The seriously injured woman managed to flee to a neighboring town, but the 37-year-old man, who was heavily intoxicated, pursued her with the knife. Two passing motorists picked up the woman in their vehicle. This led to a further escalation: The suspect tried to open the car door and attack the woman again. However, the driver prevented this. As the car drove away, the 37-year-old stabbed the rear window with the knife.

Investigation into attempted murder
Law enforcement officers subsequently arrested the man without resistance at his apartment and seized the suspected murder weapon. During his initial interrogation, the 37-year-old confessed to the crime and, according to investigators, stated that he intended to kill. “Because there were two stab wounds to the back, we are investigating this as attempted murder,” said Alois Ebner of the Ried District Attorney’s Office. However, the man has not yet been able to be questioned; his blood alcohol level was 2 per mille, and an interpreter is also required.

Woman Not in Life-Threatening Condition
The 30-year-old woman was initially treated at Ried Hospital and then flown by emergency medical helicopter to a hospital in Linz. She suffered serious injuries but, according to the attending physician, was not in immediate danger of dying.