On Tuesday, October 13, 2026, a 23-year-old nurse was brutally attacked in the emergency room of the University Hospital in Bratislava-Kramáre. A drunk 63-year-old Austrian citizen, who had been brought in by an ambulance, beat and choked the young employee. This incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of medical staff in Slovakia.
The incident occurred around midnight. The man was behaving inappropriately, undressing and attempting to relieve himself right in the hallway. When the nurse—who is also a third-year nursing student—asked him to use the restroom, he lunged at her, struck her on the head, and began choking her. Hearing the woman’s screams, hospital staff, paramedics, and one of the patients rushed to the scene and helped subdue the attacker. As a result of the attack, the nurse suffered facial injuries, scratches, bruises, and swelling, as well as significant psychological trauma. She is currently on sick leave.
The police detained the assailant and charged him with disorderly conduct and causing bodily harm. After his arrest, he was taken back to the emergency room at Kramáre twice and then transferred to another hospital in Staré Mesto. Alexander Mayer, director of the University Hospital in Bratislava, confirmed that attacks on medical staff are becoming increasingly frequent, especially in emergency departments. According to him, “there is no employee in the emergency room who has not been verbally or physically attacked.” This incident caused a widespread outcry, and politicians, including Parliament Speaker Richard Raši and Health Minister Kamil Šaško, condemned the attack, emphasizing that violence against those who save lives is unacceptable. Bratislava Mayor Matúš Vallo also called for the reopening of detoxification centers to prevent similar incidents.
More details about the incident can be found on the Noviny.sk website.
