Afghan German admits knife attack on Frankfurt rabbi 18/04/2008 00:00

The accused says he does not recall the attack.

Frankfurt -- A 23-year-old German of Afghan origin admitted partial guilt at the start of his trial Thursday on a charge of stabbing and seriously wounding a rabbi in the city of Frankfurt last year.

The accused, who faces a charge of attempted manslaughter, was identified only as Sahed A, 23. He denied shouting racist insults as he stabbed Zalman Gurevich, 42, in the abdomen on the evening of September 7.

Sahed A, who was 22 at the time of the incident, was informed by the court that the charge could be changed to the more serious one of attempted murder.

The accused, an unemployed man, said he was "as always" severely under the influence of cannabis after smoking four or five joints on the day of the attack and could not recall using his knife.

He had recognized his victim as a Jew by his full beard.

The accused was born in Frankfurt to Afghan parents and apologized for the attack and acknowledged that he had caused serious distress and pain.

Gurevich, who underwent emergency surgery after the attack, said justice, rather than revenge, was the main issue for him.

The court heard that Sahed A had plunged his knife 18 centimeters into his victim.

DPA