John Rudat, a 21-year-old American tourist and part-time model from upstate New York, was seriously injured while intervening to protect two women from harassment on a tram in Dresden, Germany. Rudat, also a newly certified paramedic, sustained deep facial wounds during the attack and required extensive surgery.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Sunday when two men began harassing female passengers. Rudat stepped in to assist, resulting in one of the assailants stabbing him in the face. German police arrested a 21-year-old Syrian national near the scene; however, he was released within 12 hours due to insufficient evidence. The second suspect remains at large.
From his hospital bed, Rudat posted a video on Instagram criticizing Europe's immigration policies, stating, "If y'all didn't think that Europe had an immigration problem, especially Germany, let me drop some knowledge on you." He expressed frustration over the suspect's release and questioned the effectiveness of the legal system.
"It is 11:57 am right now. In three minutes, that man that assaulted that young woman will be released from custody. He'll be released from custody because he's not a citizen of Germany; he's not a citizen of the EU for that matter," Rudat said.
A GoFundMe campaign initiated by Rudat's brother's girlfriend has raised over $48,000 to support his recovery. The US Embassy in Germany condemned the attack and urged local authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.
