A male model from New York City suffered severe disfigurement after he intervened to protect two women from a violent assault while on vacation in Germany.
John Rudat, 21, was left injured and bleeding after thwarting an attack on two victims on German public transportation in Dresden, as noted in a GoFundMe set up by Rudat’s brother’s girlfriend, Molly Sheldon.
The young model, who is also a paramedic, sustained a critical gash in the middle of his face from a six-inch blade.
Disturbing footage taken after the incident shows Rudat holding a tissue to his face with visible blood stains trailing to his seat. Another video clip shows a severe cut on his nose.
Other passengers appeared shell-shocked after witnessing the gory ordeal.
Rudat needed immediate medical attention and underwent extensive surgery in Germany.
Law enforcement officials said there were two attackers. They were both reportedly Syrian nationals.
One of these men was detained after the violent incident on suspicion of beating Rudat but was released shortly after.
John Rudat (pictured) , 21, was left bloodied and battered after trying to stop two women from being violently assaulted on German public transit
The young model (pictured), who is also a paramedic, sustained a critical gash in the middle of his face from a six-inch blade
‘According to the on-call public prosecutor’s assessment, there were insufficient grounds for detention. The knife attack cannot be attributed to him,’ Senior Public Prosecutor Jurgen Schmidt informed German outlet Bild.
The other suspect, who is believed to have actually stabbed Rudat, is still on the loose.
‘This terrible act against John leaves us heartbroken and hoping for justice. He now faces a tough journey to recover physically, emotionally, and even financially,’ Sheldon commented.
So far, the fundraiser created to support Rudat and his family has collected more than $32,500.
Rudat was visiting Dresden to see his former foreign exchange host family, according to The New York Post.
In a video description of the startling attack, Rudat recounted that the individual who assaulted him and the two women was a drug dealer who was ‘very popularly known’ in the vicinity.
When his loved ones received the gut-wrenching call that he had been involved in the harrowing incident, they feared for the worst.
‘We got a little scared when we found out,’ Sheldon told The Post.
Rudat (pictured) is expected to be able to return to the US in a week or two, according to his brother
‘We didn’t know the extent of his injuries. We were at dinner the other day and he called saying, “Hey, I’ve been in an incident, I’m OK, just if you can notify my parents because they weren’t answering the phone.”‘
Rudat’s brother and Sheldon’s boyfriend, Logan, said he was not surprised that his brother put himself at risk to protect others.
‘It’s part of his character. That’s just the way we were raised,’ Logan told the outlet, adding he is optimistic that Rudat will be able to return to the US in a week or two.
While reflecting on the incident on his Instagram story, Rudat wrote: ‘Never turn your back on abuse.’
