Acropolis: How the knife attack on American tourists unfolded – The attacker’s profile

New details have emerged about the attack on two American tourists that took place on Tuesday morning (21/7) at the southern entrance to the Acropolis archaeological site, opposite the Acropolis Museum and the ticket offices.

The incident occurred shortly after 8:00 a.m., when a 60-year-old man armed with a knife attacked the two passing tourists entirely without provocation, injuring a 53-year-old man and a 48-year-old woman.

A passer-by alerted the Police Immediate Response Centre to the incident. When officers arrived, they found that the attacker had wounded the man and the woman in the hand and leg respectively. The man had lost a significant amount of blood, and a tourniquet had to be applied to stop the bleeding.

An EKAB ambulance and a rapid-response motorcycle unit were called to the scene and transported the injured tourists to the Red Cross Hospital.

According to hospital sources, both are out of danger. The woman was stabbed in the thigh, while the man, who attempted to protect her, was stabbed in the wrist. It has not yet been clarified whether they will need to be admitted to hospital or will be discharged after receiving treatment in the emergency department.

The attacker’s profile

According to information, the attacker was immediately restrained and arrested by officers from the Athens Police Directorate.

He has previously been arrested for verbal abuse and possession of a knife.

Reports also indicate that prosecutorial orders had been issued for his involuntary hospitalisation. More specifically, in June 2026, officers from the Kypseli Police Department took him to Georgios Gennimatas General Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment. In 2022, another prosecutorial order was issued for his confinement, but he could not be located, while in 2014 officers from the Kypseli Police Department took him to Dafni Psychiatric Hospital.

“He tried to slaughter the woman — we heard screams and saw her lying on the ground covered in blood”

An eyewitness described the moments that unfolded at the Acropolis ticket offices during the bloody attack.

“We were standing in line, waiting to go inside. The doors had not opened yet, and then we heard screams. People scattered everywhere, and we turned around to see what was happening. We saw a man with a knife, and he tried to slaughter a woman,” Connie, an Australian of Greek origin, told the Orange Press Agency.

She added: “Then we saw the woman lying on the ground, with blood on her back. We were frightened and moved further away, but gradually we saw the police arrive and people started coming closer again, while we continued on our way.”

Immediately afterwards, according to Connie, who was at the scene with her daughter, the Hellenic Police and EKAB took control of the situation. Tourists gathered at the ticket offices were moved away by police officers until it became clear what had happened.