A 22-year-old woman was arrested in Sofia on charges of attempted murder after stabbing three men in separate incidents near the South Park entrance and on Vitosha Boulevard. The first victim, a 21-year-old, was stabbed in the back in front of a bank. Emergency responders took him to the Military Medical Academy, where he was treated for a stab wound to his spleen, requiring surgery. A second victim, a 51-year-old man, was attacked in the chest and was taken to Pirogov Hospital, where his injuries were deemed non-life-threatening. A third man, aged 48, suffered minor injuries and was not hospitalized.
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The attacker, who was apprehended quickly by the police, has been diagnosed with a severe mental illness. She had been treated in a psychiatric hospital but was discharged several months ago. Her mother informed authorities that the woman had been refusing to take her prescribed medication, and her condition had worsened in recent days. Psychiatric clinics have reportedly declined to admit her, citing a lack of available space.
The incident unfolded in the early hours of the morning, with an emergency call placed at 8:25 a.m. regarding the first victim. Police were immediately dispatched, and within minutes, another stabbing was reported. Police quickly contained the situation, preventing further harm to citizens. Sofia Police Director, Lyubomir Nikolov, praised the swift response of officers who managed to prevent the woman from injuring more people.
Eyewitnesses described the incident, noting the attacker’s sudden aggression. One witness reported that the woman took out a knife and stabbed a man in the back, after which another passerby attempted to intervene by hitting her with a bag. Police soon arrived at the scene, ordering her to drop the knife, which led to her arrest.
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