RTL journalist Pierre Weimerskirch met J. on Tuesday afternoon. In order to protect herself and her family, she does not wish to be identified, asking that neither her name nor details about her life be published. Despite everything she has been through, J. keeps moving forward, through rehabilitation, therapy, and support from loved ones.
Physically, she says, things are improving. Psychologically, however, it remains a challenge.
Since the incident, J. spends between three and five hours a day at a rehabilitation centre, working through physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy, alongside regular psychological support. Progress with her left hand remains uncertain. While doctors remain hopeful that a large part of its function will return, they have cautioned that this could take a long time.
Throughout the interview, the young mother repeatedly expressed her gratitude to those around her. “Without them, I certainly would not be where I am now,” she said. Above all, it is her young son who gives her the strength to keep going.
J. remembers the events of 27th January 2026 clearly. After putting her son to bed, she heard noises coming from within the building. While she didn’t think much of it at first, once she heard screams coming from the hallway, she realised something was seriously wrong. As she went downstairs to investigate, she suddenly found herself face to face with a man wielding a knife.
“I didn’t have time to think,” she says. The attack was over in moments. Instinctively, she raised her arms to protect her head and heart. “My body reacted exactly in the right way.” In desperation, she cried out in French: “Leave me alone, I have a child.” She was pushed down the stairs, and the attacker fled.
Despite her serious injuries, J. managed to pull herself back up the stairs and call out to her sister-in-law, who lives in the same building. Her sister-in-law, who reacted immediately by calling for help, was then guided over the phone in order to stem the bleeding from the wound to her chest. “She saved my life,” J. said.
The hardest thing to bear, she says, is the knowledge that a young woman did not survive that night. “When I think of Alicia, I can’t breathe,” J. says. She struggles to make sense of what happened. Alicia had simply been going about her work.
Since then, it’s clear that the experience changed her outlook on life: “I see a lot of things in a different light now,” she explained.
Small problems no longer carry the same weight. Now, she tries to hold onto the positive. “You have to hold on to the good times,” she says. She hopes that by sharing her story, it might give strength to those who need it.
