A 34-year-old Afghan national has been arrested in Frankfurt after allegedly attempting to kill his 18-year-old partner by pushing her into the Main River during a late-night argument.
According to a joint statement from police and prosecutors, the man is facing charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault following the incident, which unfolded shortly before midnight on April 8.
As reported by Tagesspiegel, the couple had been walking along the river when a dispute escalated into violence. The suspect is alleged to have deliberately pushed the teenager into the water despite knowing she could not swim, effectively leaving her to drown.
The victim’s cries for help alerted passersby, while a nearby police patrol also responded to the scene.
Officers and civilians were able to pull the woman from the water before it was too late, and she was checked over by medical responders.
A spokesperson for the Frankfurt public prosecutor’s office confirmed to the German Press Agency that both the suspect and the victim are Afghan nationals.
Officials have so far withheld further details about the precise location of the attack or the wider circumstances leading up to it.
The suspect remains in custody as the investigation continues, with prosecutors emphasizing that he is under suspicion of attempted homicide.
The case comes amid ongoing concerns about crime and public safety in Frankfurt, widely seen as a multicultural hub. Its population of 776,000 comprises 32 percent of residents who are foreign-born, while around 58 percent have a migration background.
Crime figures show a clear increase in violent offenses over the past decade. Official data indicates that non-German suspects account for a significant share of serious crimes, including a majority in some categories.
Since 2015, the number of brutality cases has gone from 9,115 to 14,258 in 2024. At the same time, rapes have nearly quadrupled, going from 436 to 1,623.
Police data shows that non-German suspects dominate in the crime data. They are responsible for 64.1 percent of all rapes and 100 percent of cases of serious sexual assault.
The Bahnhofsviertel district, around the main train station, has become a focus for drug-related activity and repeated police operations. Authorities estimate that around 5,000 addicts are supplied by roughly 300 dealers in the area, with dozens of major raids carried out in recent years.
