Berlin police are investigating a serious violent assault after five men attacked a 52-year-old German citizen near the Lichtenberg S-Bahn station in the early hours of Sunday morning. According to police, the incident began shortly after 1:40 a.m. following a verbal dispute between two groups at a snack stand.

During the altercation, one member of the five-man group allegedly struck a 43-year-old. When a 52-year-old companion intervened, the attackers reportedly turned on him. Police said the group repeatedly punched and kicked the victim, continuing the assault even after he fell to the ground. Witness accounts indicate the attackers stomped on his head and upper body while he was lying defenseless.

The victim sustained serious injuries, briefly lost consciousness, and was transported to hospital for treatment. The suspects initially fled the scene but were arrested a short time later in a nearby bar after police reviewed surveillance footage.

Authorities identified the alleged perpetrators as five Moldovan nationals aged between 20 and 34. Four of the suspects were already known to police. All five are being investigated for dangerous bodily harm, while two are also under investigation for unauthorized residence in Germany. Despite the severity of the attack, the suspects have since been released, with police indicating that further preventive measures are being considered.

The incident comes amid broader concerns over violent crime in the German capital. Official data released in response to a parliamentary inquiry from the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) shows that non-German suspects accounted for 38.28% of recorded criminal cases in Berlin in 2024, despite non-German residents making up 24.9% of the city’s population.