Stabbed Dutch Consul Talks About Her Ordeal

The Honorary Consul of the Netherlands in Croatia, who was attacked by a knife wielding man in her office in the Dalmatian city of Spit on Wednesday morning, has spoken from her hospital bed about the ordeal.

Silvana Kondić (pic: nacional.hr)

Silvana Kondić (72), was going about business as usual on Wednesday when a man carrying a backpack entered her office. After a brief exchange the man started to attack the consul with his fists, before pulling out a kitchen knife and stabbing her in the head and neck before fleeing. A 48-year-man was arrested shortly after the incident in his apartment in Split.

“I know for sure that he is a mental patient who was treated in the psychiatric ward of KBC Split Hospital. A year or two ago he sent me incoherent messages via SMS, with elements of threat, so I reported it to the police, but who would have expected that I would be a victim of this man,” Kondić told daily Slobodna Dalmacija, before adding.

“Yesterday he came into my office, greeted me and asked if he could speak to me. When I said he could he then put his backpack down. Then the horror began. First he started to punch me in the head, screaming who will give him his money back, then he attacked me with the knife. I fell to the floor, defending myself with my hands, probably instinctively, in fear that he would get me in the neck,” Kondić said, who was lucky injuries were not more serious.