A 43-year-old woman was brutally attacked in central Berlin early Friday morning after two men noticed the Star of David necklace hanging around her neck.
According to German police, the two assailants shouted antisemitic slurs at the victim before one of them attacked her with a broken glass bottle. The woman attempted to defend herself and sustained cuts to her hand, requiring hospital treatment.
The attack occurred around 2:30 a.m. in the Mitte district of central Berlin. Berlin police said two unidentified men spotted the Star of David the woman was wearing, approached her, and began hurling antisemitic insults.
The situation escalated rapidly when one of the suspects allegedly used a glass bottle that broke during the assault, turning it into a weapon. As the woman tried to protect herself during the struggle, she suffered multiple cuts on one of her hands.
Following the attack, both suspects fled the scene. Emergency responders who were called to the location provided the woman with initial treatment before transferring her to a hospital for further care.
Berlin police are treating the incident as a suspected antisemitic assault. The investigation has been transferred to Berlin police's State Security unit, which handles crimes with political, extremist, or antisemitic motives. As of now, no arrests have been reported in the case.
The assault joins a long series of antisemitic incidents recorded in recent years in the German capital. German law enforcement officials warn that the high numbers don't merely reflect a series of isolated events, but rather a phenomenon affecting the sense of security of the entire Jewish community in the city. A public prosecutor representative responsible for combating antisemitism cautioned that beyond the direct harm to victims, such incidents also damage the sense of security of the Jewish public throughout the city.
The investigation into the Torstrasse assault continues, with police attempting to locate the two suspects. At this stage, the primary detail supporting the suspected antisemitic motive is the fact that the attack began after the two men noticed the Star of David the woman was wearing, while simultaneously shouting antisemitic slurs at her.
