Man charged over central Athens knife attack
An Iraqi national who stabbed a 22-year-old woman in broad daylight on Friday on Ermou Street, a popular shopping spot in central Athens, has been given until Tuesday to prepare his defense.
The woman, who remained in intensive care on Saturday at the capital’s Evangelismos Hospital after undergoing surgery, was stabbed in the back in what appears to have been an unprovoked attack.
The backpack the young woman was carrying appears to have protected her from a fatal blow.
According to reports, the perpetrator may also need to undergo a psychiatric evaluation, as he is said to have told passers-by that he attacked the woman “because he thought she was a spy who was watching him.”
The 42-year-old man appeared before a prosecutor on Saturday morning and was charged with attempted murder and for the possession and use of a weapon.
