American Tourist Stabbed on German Tram Speaks Out, Criticizes Immigration Policies

An American tourist who was stabbed while defending two women on a tram in Germany has spoken out, criticizing what he described as Europe’s “immigration problem” after learning that one of the suspects had been released from custody.

John Rudat, a 21-year-old model from upstate New York, shared his frustration in a video posted to Instagram just hours after the attack. His face, still wrapped in heavy bandages, underscored the severity of the incident.

“If y’all didn’t think Europe had an immigration problem, especially Germany, let me drop some knowledge on you,” Rudat said.

At the time he recorded the video, it was close to midnight—just minutes before one of the alleged attackers was set to be released, with authorities claiming there was no evidence linking him to the stabbing.

Rudat, however, accused officials of being lenient because the suspect was not a German or EU citizen.

“He doesn’t even belong in here. He is an immigrant—an illegal one, a drug dealer, and very well known to police,” Rudat alleged, adding that the man had previously been detained for harassing young women.

The model questioned how Germany’s justice system could allow such cases to slip through.

“If they can do this to people and get released 12 hours later, where’s the law? Where’s the structure? If Germans are held accountable, why aren’t these people?” he asked.

However, Rudat later softened his stance in a follow-up interview, saying the issue was not about race or immigration but about violence itself.

“Germany and German citizens tend to stay quiet about these incidents because of the political weight they carry,” he explained. “But for me, it wasn’t about anyone’s skin color or nationality. It was about the fact that a woman was being assaulted. This was a problem of violence.”

He stressed that violence transcends politics:

“No matter your political party, everyone should see this for what it was: an act of violence against someone defenseless, and I simply stepped in to help.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Embassy in Germany condemned the attack and urged swift action.

“We call on German authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice and ensure they face the full consequences of the law. Safety is a collective responsibility—no one is safe until all are safe,” the embassy said in a statement.