Bloodbath in the men's toilet: Cologne knife stabber now acquitted!

Bloodbath in the men's toilet: Cologne knife stabber now acquitted!

A spectacular trial recently came to an end in the Cologne district court, which stirred emotions in the city. The background is a knife attack that took place a few years ago, on the night of June 21, 2020, in a men's toilet in the Zülpich district. The incident began in a bar where an argument broke out over drug debts and ended with nine stab wounds.

The 47-year-old defendant maneuvered himself into a tricky situation when he followed a “significantly taller and more muscular” man who had previously been involved in an argument. Before the argument could escalate, the defendant pulled out his knife to intimidate him. But when the injured party reacted and attacked him, the defendant used the blade. The victim suffered serious injuries to his chest, arm and cheek, but was still able to overpower the attacker and knock him to the ground. An emergency operation saved his life.

Court decision and self-defense

The legal consequences of the attack dragged on for years. The defendant was initially convicted of grievous bodily harm. But the Federal Court of Justice determined that it was a possible self-defense situation and overturned the previous ruling. In the new trial, the dramatic situation in the toilet was highlighted again. The court emphasized that the defendant was in a hopeless situation and had no realistic possibility of escaping or calling for help.

The verdict ultimately went in favor of the defendant: both the defense attorney and the public prosecutor called for an acquittal, and the verdict immediately became final because everyone involved waived further legal action.

Knife attacks in Germany – a growing problem?

Knife attacks are a constantly growing problem that also affects the safety of citizens in Cologne. According to current data from Statista, numerous such incidents were recorded by the police in Germany between 2022 and 2024. The exact number of these attacks is worrying and raises questions about the security situation.

In view of these developments, it is all the more important that preventative measures are taken in the future to prevent such escalating situations and to strengthen the population's sense of security. The case of the knife attack in the Zülpicher district will therefore be remembered not only as a legal dispute, but also as an example of the sometimes explosive consequences of conflicts in our society.

It remains to be hoped that with increased efforts to defuse background problems such as drug debts and conflicts, Cologne's city center will become safer again and such incidents can be avoided in the future.

For full coverage of the incident, see articles from Express and Cologne City Gazette. Further statistics on knife attacks in Germany are available on Statista.