A Bulgarian man suspected of kicking a woman down a flight of stairs at a Berlin underground station has been arrested, after a video of the apparently unprovoked attack went viral.

The man was originally identified in the media as an asylum seeker, and the incident sparked a flurry of commentary on social media, with many saying it was further proof that Germany has become less safe since allowing around 1 million refugees into the country last year, and thousands more in 2016.

Svetoslav Stoykov, 27, was arrested at a bus station on arrival in Berlin after a 21-hour journey from southern France, where it is believed he went to hide with relatives in Nice.

The CCTV footage shows the attacker, holding a cigarette and a beer, walk up behind a woman at Hermannstraße U-Bahn station in southern Berlin, and kick her in the back.



The woman is seen to tumble down the stairs head first, and land on the platform where bystanders rush to her aid. The 26-year-old woman – who has not been publicly identified– broke her arm in the fall and had to be treated in hospital.

The attacker and three companions are seen to walk nonchalantly away from the scene.

According to Thomas Fels, a spokesman for the Berlin prosecutor, Stoykov has already made a statement, but Fels said he was unable to give further details.

He said it was unclear what charges Stoykov might face, but did not rule out attempted murder. If convicted he could face anywhere between six months and 10 years in prison.

Stoykov is a married father of three children, from Varna in Bulgaria. Police there have said he has a criminal record for robbery, theft and hooliganism. In Berlin he had jobs in a restaurant and on a building site.

Stoykov came to the attention of the driver of the bus he was travelling in after he complained about the noise a female passenger was making. The driver, a Czech national who also spoke Bulgarian, and another passenger recognised him and called the police. When the bus arrived in central Berlin, officers were there to detain him. He reportedly did not resist arrest.

A reward of €2,000 had been offered by a private person to information that would lead to his arrest.

The attack has unleashed a debate about boosting security on Berlin’s public transport system, where alcohol is allowed and drunkenness is common. The conservative CDU is calling for an increase in CCTV coverage. But according to police figures, violence and crime on the capital’s public transport has decreased in recent years.