Tram brawl in Kirchberg: two Ukrainians tried for assault on Xavier, 25
Two Ukrainian asylum seekers are appearing in court for assault and battery following a brawl at the Alphonse-Weicker tram stop. The verdict is expected on 2 July.
Kicks to the head at Kirchberg tram stop: trial opens in Luxembourg
"I saw a tattooed man kick him in the head as if he were taking a penalty," a witness told the court. This is the image with which Le Quotidien reports the alleged assault of which Xavier, 25, was said to be the victim on 5 April 2025 at around 18:45 at the Alphonse-Weicker tram stop in Luxembourg-Kirchberg. "My head was like a football to him. He kicked me six or seven times before trying to grab my neck," confirmed the alleged victim from the stand.
A meeting to return personal effects that turns badly
Xavier had come to this stop to return personal items to his ex-girlfriend, Victoria. She was waiting there accompanied by three people, including Vladyslav. According to Xavier, the latter was intoxicated and looking for confrontation: "He was dancing on the spot, inviting me to fight him, without the rings." The situation deteriorated rapidly. A punch sent him to the ground. The two defendants then allegedly fell upon him. Bohdan is said to have attempted to grab him by the neck, whilst Victoria, seeking to intervene, is said to have been pushed to the ground with her left arm fractured.
Two contradictory versions before the 12th criminal chamber
Vladyslav and Bohdan, two Ukrainian nationals aged 24 and 30 respectively, are being tried by the 12th criminal chamber of the Luxembourg district court. They are being prosecuted for attempted murder of Xavier—accused of having intended to break his neck—as well as for assault and battery on Victoria. The two defendants admit to striking blows, but deny any murderous intent.
Vladyslav claims that Xavier insulted his mother and tore his sweatshirt before he immobilised him using a technique from a Ukrainian or Russian martial art. "The technique was not lethal," he stated. Bohdan, for his part, claims he received a punch in the eye from Xavier whilst attempting to separate the protagonists, and retaliated with two kicks to the head. The two men then fled by tram before being intercepted by police a few stops further on—when they are said to have fought again.
Victoria's testimony
Victoria sheds different light on what triggered the brawl. She indicates that Bohdan had first attempted to flirt with her before Xavier's arrival. Upon Xavier's arrival, Vladyslav is said to have called him a cuckold, removed his rings and challenged him to fight. He is said to have then jumped on him and gripped his neck with his elbow. She confirms that Bohdan kicked her in the head several times.
Bohdan, for his part, contests having attempted to strangle Xavier, describing these accusations as "absurd". He also denies having stolen Victoria's smartphone during the brawl, claiming he picked it up from the ground to return it to her.
The public prosecutor seeks two years imprisonment
The prosecutor described the facts as "gratuitous violence on the public highway" committed by two individuals in a state of intoxication. He specified that Xavier narrowly escaped serious lasting damage: no skull fracture, no spinal injury or neurological damage, although the consequences could have been fatal.
Unable to establish an intention to kill, the prosecutor dropped the attempted murder charge and sought the conviction of the two perpetrators for assault and battery with temporary incapacity to work. The maximum sentence of two years was requested for each. "They do not yet have a criminal record, but the prosecution knows them," the magistrate specified, revealing that two weeks previously, Bohdan had sent a man into a coma with a single punch. "This shows clearly that he has learned nothing," he added. The two men came to Luxembourg as asylum seekers.
The defence pleads for a suspended sentence
Me Says, lawyer for the two defendants, did not minimise the facts or their potential consequences, but noted that the injuries inflicted were not serious and that his clients stopped hitting of their own accord. He asked the court to dismiss the attempted murder charge and to grant a fully suspended sentence, emphasising that Vladyslav and Bohdan called into question the behaviour of the alleged victim.
The judgment is scheduled for 2 July.
Source: Le Quotidien