The mayor of the western German town of Altena received a slash to his neck in what security authorities believe was an attack with a “political motive.” Under the current mayor, the town has accommodated more refugees than required by national quota.
On Monday evening, a reportedly drunk man approached Mayor Andreas Hollstein in a downtown kebab shop. According to German media, the man loudly criticized the mayor’s policies and asked Hollstein if he was the one before pulling out a knife.
He then stabbed 57-year-old Hollstein in the neck with a blade, local police say, causing a 15cm-long gash. He was rushed to the hospital as witnesses held the offender until police arrived. The attacker had an “alleged xenophobic motivation.”
Hollstein sustained minor injuries and was released from the hospital hours later. “I’m happy to still be alive,” he told local news.
“The security authorities believe that there was a political motive to this attack,” North Rhine-Westphalia’s CDU state premier, Armin Laschet, said. The offender commented on a migration issue, Laschet added.