American tourist stabbed while defending women on German tram slams Europe’s ‘immigration problem’ after one of the suspects is freed
An American tourist who was stabbed while intervening in an alleged harassment incident on a tram in Germany has spoken publicly about the attack and voiced criticism of the country’s immigration policies.
John Rudat, a 21-year-old model from upstate New York, was injured while protecting two women from what he described as aggressive behavior by two men on public transportation. In a video posted to Instagram shortly after the attack, Rudat—his face still visibly bandaged—criticized Germany’s handling of immigration, particularly in relation to the suspect who was released shortly after being detained.
“If y’all didn’t think that Europe had an immigration problem, especially Germany, let me drop some knowledge on you,” Rudat said in the video. He claimed one of the men involved was known to local authorities as an undocumented immigrant and a repeat offender. The suspect was released after investigators found no evidence linking him directly to the stabbing.
Rudat suggested the man’s immigration status influenced the decision, stating, “He doesn’t even belong in here. He is an immigrant, an illegal one, a drug dealer and very popularly known here, especially by the police.”
German legal procedures regarding the detention of suspects vary depending on the individual’s citizenship, the severity of charges, and the likelihood of extradition or flight risk. Rudat alleged the suspect had previously been detained for similar incidents involving harassment of women.
“If they can do this to people and get released 12 hours later, where’s the law? Where’s the structure?” Rudat said in the video. “If Germans are held to those standards, but others can hurt, abuse, and terrorize with little consequence, then what are we doing?”
However, in a later interview on Monday, Rudat took a more tempered approach, emphasizing that the incident reflected a broader issue of violence rather than immigration specifically.
“Germany and German citizens have been rather quiet about events like these. They tend to come with a natural political connotation that takes away from the actual problem,” he said. “To me, this wasn’t about anyone’s skin color, race, or background. It was about a woman being harassed and assaulted.”
He added: “The problem of violence transcends political affiliation. Everyone, regardless of where they stand, should see this for what it was—an act of violence against someone unable to defend herself.”
The U.S. Embassy in Germany released a statement urging German authorities to continue pursuing the attackers.
“We urge German authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrators to justice and punish them to the fullest extent permitted by law. Safety is a collective responsibility—no one is safe until all are safe,” the statement read.
As of now, the suspects remain at large.
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