After the bloody attack in Mannheim in Germany, knife bans and threat monitoring are now being discussed again in Austria.
Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Friday afternoon: The ex-CSU politician and Islam critic Michael Stürzenberger (59) was – as reported – preparing for a meeting with his right-wing extremist citizen movement Pax Europa on the city’s market square when 300,000 residents passed by , an Afghan with the knife not only stabbed the activist, but also fellow activists and a police officer who wanted to intervene.
Officer is still in danger of death
The result: Stürzenberger was stabbed in the face and leg and underwent emergency surgery, just like the officer whose life was said to still be in danger. It’s just one case where pure anger and possession of a knife led to disaster. According to German crime statistics, the number of knife attacks on people increased from 8,160 in 2022 to 8,951 last year – an increase of almost ten percent!
Crime statistics for 2023: 6.5 knife attacks per day
The use of sharp knives is also increasing in Austria. In 2022, stabbing and cutting wounds were registered 2,153 times. With 2,393 crimes in the previous year – 6.5 crimes per day – they have increased by more than eleven percent in this country, and by 57 percent since 2013 (1,524 crimes involving stabbing weapons).
Civil servants in particular – especially politicians and police officers – are increasingly becoming targets of attacks in the politically heated atmosphere. Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) was recently the target of a ‘blood attack’ in Vienna – thank God there have been no knife attacks (yet). Last Friday, a man stabbed a police officer at Reumannplatz in Vienna (a no-weapons zone, by the way). Only the stab protection saved the officer’s life.
Danger from the left, right and Islamist scene
In 2023, 1,200 police officers were injured; according to the ministry, 75 percent of these were minor injuries and only a few knife attacks. The motives for the attacks are different: in addition to right-wing and left-wing extremists, the Office for the Protection of the Constitution also identifies Islamists, state objectors and climate activists as threats. Modern equipment such as stab protection vests provide good protection against possible attacks. Moreover, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) repeatedly called for further “contemporary powers”. And that means more opportunities for telephone surveillance of potential threats.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
