Bloody clashes in Vienna parks: Two seriously injured!

Bloody clashes in Vienna parks: Two seriously injured!

In the last few days, two brutal knife attacks have occurred in Vienna's parks, sending the city into a frenzy. On July 19, 2025, there were serious clashes with injuries in both the Steinbauer Park in Vienna-Meidling and in the Sonnwendviertel in Vienna-Favoriten. These incidents highlight the worrying rise in violent knife crime in the federal capital. Loud oe24.at A 20-year-old and a 38-year-old were seriously injured in both attacks.

In the first incident, which occurred in the evening, the 20-year-old was in Steinbauer Park with two friends and got into a loud argument with a group of other young men. An unknown person pulled out a knife and seriously injured him. The police were alerted after a considerable delay, raising questions as to whether the victim had to wait over an hour for help. Although paramedics were quickly on the scene and took the man to hospital, the perpetrators remained on the run. Unfortunately, a search attempt at close range yielded no results.

Another attack in the Sonnwendviertel

Just a few hours later, around 11 p.m., the perpetrator struck again in the Sonnwendviertel. Here a 38-year-old was involved in an argument and injured with a sharp object. During the argument, his 25-year-old acquaintance was unable to determine what it was actually about. In this case, too, the attacker fled in an unknown direction while the victim was also taken to hospital. The investigation is ongoing and has been taken over by the Vienna State Criminal Police Office, South Branch. kosmo.at emphasizes that the perpetrators escaped undetected in both cases.

These incidents come in a worrying context. Since 2020, the number of knife attacks in Austria has increased by almost 25 percent. In 2024, 956 crimes involving stabbing weapons were registered in Vienna, which means almost three attacks per day. An alarming development that not only endangers the safety of citizens, but also puts police officers under pressure. austriaaktuell.at reports that the police have already taken measures to increase their presence in hot spots and deploy special forces.

The heated situation and the increased knife violence in the city have also found political resonance. FPÖ General Secretary Michael Schnedlitz sharply criticizes Interior Minister Gerhard Karner and describes him as a “security risk”. It remains to be seen what measures those responsible will take to counteract this worrying development.

The people of Vienna are alarmed and are asking themselves the question: How can safety in parks and public spaces be improved? It is clear that both the police and politicians urgently need a good hand in order to prevent future cases and regain the trust of citizens.