Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 21
60-Year-Old Man Stabs 2 American Tourists Near Athens Acropolis
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 21

60-Year-Old Man Stabs 2 American Tourists Near Athens Acropolis

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 21

Summary

  • Two American tourists — a 73-year-old man and a 78-year-old woman — were stabbed near the Acropolis ticket office around 8 a.m. Tuesday, and police said their injuries were not life-threatening.
  • Police said a 60-year-old man wielding a knife attacked them near the entrance to the archaeological site after reportedly threatening other people in the area.
  • Reuters, citing a police official, said the suspect had previously been hospitalized on mental health grounds and had earlier been arrested for allegedly possessing a knife.
  • The motive was not immediately known, but the Acropolis and its museum remained open after the attack, underscoring the rarity of such street violence in Greece.

Insights

Is a violent attack at the Acropolis a random tragedy or a failure of Greece's mental health care?
With record tourism, are Europe's most iconic landmarks becoming less safe for visitors?
As Athens cracks down on overtourism, are social tensions boiling over in its streets?