Fatal knife attack at Heerbrugg train station: 17-year-old dies!

Fatal knife attack at Heerbrugg train station: 17-year-old dies!

On Friday, July 11, 2025, a brutal knife attack occurred at Heerbrugg train station in which a 17-year-old Algerian national lost his life. Police were alerted shortly after 3:45 a.m. by passers-by who found a person bleeding on the ground. Rescue workers could only determine that the teenager was dead. The circumstances at the crime scene indicate a homicide, while the perpetrator had already fled by the time the emergency services arrived. The crime scene was then cordoned off in order to carry out the investigation. According to information from vol.at The victim was housed in the Federal Asylum Center Altstätten.

The investigation is currently focusing on possible connections between the victim's whereabouts and the crime. The cantonal police have initiated the forensic investigation, while the search for the unknown perpetrators is already underway. The emergency services involved include the fire department, the SBB and the forensic medicine department. According to the information, no rail traffic and no train passengers were affected. Further information about the motive or possible suspects is not yet available. Witnesses are asked to contact the St. Gallen cantonal police directly.

Frequency of violent acts

The latest knife attack comes in a context in which youth violence in Switzerland has reached worrying levels. According to an analysis by 20 minutes There has been a clear increase in acts of violence, especially among young people. Since 2015, the number of stabbings has been increasing, and statistics show that in 2020, the number of people under 25 accused of homicides increased to 75. This represents an alarming increase influenced by a variety of social and economic factors.

A total of 18,568 offenses against life and limb were registered in Switzerland in 2020, of which 10,441 were Swiss and 8,127 were foreigners. What is particularly noteworthy is that 63% of those accused of homicide were foreigners, while only 37% were Swiss. The factors that lead to this increased willingness to use violence are examined by experts such as Dirk Baier, who cites both economic disadvantages and social-cultural aspects as explanations.

Another incident in Altstätten

There was another incident in the same region that day in which a 27-year-old man was injured in Altstätten after a verbal dispute that ended in a knife attack. A 26-year-old Swiss man was identified as the suspected perpetrator and later arrested by the St. Gallen city police. This incident illustrates the increased willingness to use violence in the region, as the case of the 17-year-old victim at Heerbrugg train station shows rheintal24 reported.

Given these worrying developments in the region, it remains to be seen what measures the authorities will take to ensure public safety and prevent further acts of violence.