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Döbling: Crazy thief attacks himself with a knife while escaping!
A 41-year-old Romanian steals a cash box in Vienna-Döbling and injures himself with a knife while escaping. Police are investigating.
Döbling: Crazy thief attacks himself with a knife while escaping!
On June 18, 2025, a dramatic incident occurred on Billrothstrasse in Vienna-Döbling when a 41-year-old Romanian stole a cash box during a robbery at a drugstore. The perpetrator used the unoccupied cash register as a target for his crime and then fled the store with a Stanley knife in his hand. The police were immediately alerted and began pursuing the man, who ignored various requests to stop.
In a threatening manner, the perpetrator pointed the knife at the officers, who then fired blank shots into the ground to de-escalate the situation. The Romanian man showed signs of psychological distress, which further complicated the police intervention. During the escape, serious self-harm occurred when the perpetrator cut his own neck with a knife.
Use of pepper spray
Police eventually had to use pepper spray to disarm the man and stop him from hurting himself further. The 41-year-old received medical treatment on site and was then taken to a hospital. The investigation into this incident continues.
Such criminal incidents are not isolated in Vienna. According to Statista, over 528,000 crimes were reported in Austria in 2023, with Vienna accounting for over a third of the crimes reported. The police are often confronted with mentally ill perpetrators, and the challenges in fighting crime are diverse. In addition, incidents like this fuel the public debate about crime and the treatment of foreign suspects.
The fact that 43% of suspects and convicts in 2022 were foreigners, including many from Romania, is providing additional conversation in society. 70% of Austrians believe that immigrants make crime problems worse. However, trust in the police remains relatively high; 77% of those surveyed expressed their trust in the office, which is reassuring given the increasing challenges.
This incident once again shows the importance of a rapid police response and highlights the complexity of fighting crime in urban areas. The authorities are working to ensure security in Vienna and to comprehensively investigate the background to such acts in order to effectively combat crime.