An American tourist whose face was slashed with a box cutter after he intervened in an alleged assault on a young woman aboard a tram has returned to court to confront the men accused of the attack, telling judges he sees his scar as a “symbol”.
John Rudat, 21, flew from Albany in the US state of New York to Dresden, Germany, this week to give evidence in the criminal trial over the violent attack that left him with a scar stretching from beneath his eye, across his nose and down through his upper lip.
The former model and newly qualified paramedic was seriously injured during the incident in central Dresden eight months ago after allegedly stepping in to protect an 18-year-old woman being assaulted by her boyfriend aboard a tram.
“I see my scar as a reminder of what happened,” Rudat told the court according to German newspaper BILD. “Because I stood up for something that was right. My scar feels like a symbol.”
Rudat suffered injuries to his face after saving two women from being attacked in Germany.
Wearing a dark grey suit, shirt and tie, Rudat spent almost two hours answering questions from judges about the attack, reportedly beginning his answers with respectful “Yes, Ma’am” and “No, Sir” responses throughout proceedings.
Prosecutors allege an unemployed 22-year-old, identified only as Majd A, assaulted his German girlfriend on the tram before Rudat intervened. It is further alleged the accused then turned on the American tourist, while his 20-year-old co-accused attacked Rudat with a box cutter, slashing his face.
Pictures from the aftermath show blood splattered across the tram floor, with tissues scattered everywhere used by passengers to try to stem his bleeding.
The two accused men appeared in court in hoodies and loose tracksuit pants from pre-trial detention.
Photos published after the attack showed Rudat bloodied and heavily bandaged, with a deep facial wound stretching across his nose and below his eye. Doctors in Dresden later closed the injury with 40 stitches.
Eight months later, the wounds have largely healed, but visible scarring remains around his nose and mouth. Rudat told the court he was grateful to surgeons at Dresden University Hospital, saying the doctor who treated him had done “a great job”. He said he could live with the scarring and did not currently plan further cosmetic surgery.
Defence lawyer Ricarda Dornbach questioned Rudat about the more than $US95,000 (about $145,000 AUD) raised through a GoFundMe campaign following the attack. The lawyer asked what had happened to the fundraising money earmarked for scar correction procedures. Rudat responded some funds remained and may be needed for treatment relating to breathing difficulties caused by injuries inside his nose.
Dornbach then reportedly confronted Rudat with comments made beneath an Instagram post about the case, including one comment critical of Germany’s immigration policies. The presiding judge intervened during the exchange and urged the defence not to “discredit” the witness.
By the end of proceedings, both of the accused apologised to Rudat. “I’m sorry because we had stress and it escalated,” Majd A. said. The alleged knife attacker also apologised quietly in English, saying: “I’m sorry.” The trial is continuing.
