A 39-year-old suspect was arrested after reportedly stabbing four German citizens in the center of Sofia, Bulgaria, with the woman apparently citing her dislike of Germans as a motive for the bloody attack.

Before entering the courtroom, the suspect reportedly stated that she “did not like Germans.” She also asked the court to take into consideration that she is a “conscientious citizen“ and had committed the act “in the interest of society.“

According to the BGNES Agency, the motive provided by the alleged perpetrator has stunned local authorities and the public.

The attacks took place on the evening of Thursday, March 26. Emergency services were first alerted to the Vasil Levski Stadium metro station near Dragan Tsankov Boulevard around 7:30 p.m.

At that location, two German men, aged 63 and 65, suffered stab wounds.

The Pirogov University Hospital later confirmed their condition was stable and there was no danger to life. Only minutes later, a second attack occurred at a bus stop on Cherni Vrah Boulevard, where two 27-year-old German women were also stabbed. Both women were treated, but both were released from the hospital that same evening.

As part of the ongoing investigation, a forensic psychiatric assessment has been ordered for the suspect. Experts stated there is evidence of paranoid schizophrenia, though no prior medical records for the woman are currently available.

Consequently, she is expected to be moved to the prison psychiatric hospital in Lovech for further observation and investigation. Interior Minister Emil Dechev stated that the woman most likely suffered from a mental illness.

The suspect was apprehended following a swift manhunt. After fleeing the scenes of the attacks, she was captured on surveillance cameras, and the Interior Ministry released a mug shot that night. Police took the woman into custody shortly thereafter.