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CRIME

Swiss police rule out terror motive in train hostage drama

An Iranian asylym-seeker who was shot dead after taking hostages on a Swiss train is not thought to have been inspired by terrorism, police said on Friday.

Published: 10 February 2024 15:55 CET
Swiss police rule out terror motive in train hostage drama
Police spokesman Jean-Christophe Sauterel at a press conference in Yverdon after the hostage situation ended. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP.

The 32-year-old man was shot dead by police on Thursday evening, four hours after he took 12 passengers and a train driver hostage on a train between Yverdon and Baulmes.

The man was armed with an axe, a knife and a hammer, but all of the hostages were freed unharmed after police stormed the train, police said.

“Nothing points us towards a terrorist act or a jihadist act,” police spokesperson Jean-Christophe Sauterel told Swiss press.

READ ALSO: Hostage situation on Swiss train ends after police shoot suspect dead

Police said that according to preliminary findings, the man had been unhappy with his conditions as an asylum seeker.

After passengers on the train alerted police, officers negotiated with the suspect on WhatsApp with the help of a Farsi translator.

Officers had to intervene several times during the crisis because of the man’s behaviour before eventually deciding to send in about 60 police to storm the train, said a police statement.

One officer tried to immobilse the man with a taser. When that did not stop him, a second officer opened fire, mortally wounding him as he was trying to reach the hostages, the police statement said.

In one video, filmed by a hostage and posted online by news website 24heures, the man spoke in limited English of his desire to get to England because he was not happy with his situation in Switzerland.

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LAUSANNE

American tourist ‘violently attacked’ in Lausanne

A woman visiting from the United States was stabbed during a robbery attempt while sightseeing in the Swiss city of Lausanne.

Published: 19 June 2024 12:15 CEST
American tourist 'violently attacked' in Lausanne

The attack occurred at the end of May, but the Swiss media reported it on Tuesday.

The victim, in her 50s, was “violently” attacked by a man with a knife while sightseeing in the Old Town, according to Lausanne’s newspaper 24 Heures. The attempted robbery was confirmed by local police.

The tourist was stabbed in the shoulder as the assailant tried to flee with her bag.

A local shopkeeper said she was “alerted by cries of distress in English” and witnessed the victim “lying on the ground and trying to defend herself against a man who was attacking her. The scene was extremely violent.”

Even though passersby attempted to intercept the attacker, he managed to escape.

He was, however, caught and arrested shortly thereafter. Police said the perpatrator was known for prior criminal acts.

This was the second case of a brutal attack in Switzerland  against a US tourist in a span of several months.

In February, an American woman was raped and beaten in Geneva. 

The suspect in that case lived in France and, according to the Geneva prosecutor’s office, was arrested “outside Switzerland.” 

Does this mean the two cities are unsafe for tourists?

Lausanne police said that no incidents “targeting tourists in particular” have been reported in the Vaud capital.

But reading about these attacks probably doesn’t fill you with confidence regarding your personal security in Switzerland.

Still, you should put these unfortunate incidents in perspective.

That’s because Switzerland consistently ranks among the least risky nations in the world, both in terms of personal safety and overall crime rate.

Not only is crime limited in scope, but other statistics also indicate that, in comparison with other countries, Switzerland is very safe.

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