Only one offender over 14

Another gang of minors on a violent spree in Vienna

Young boys have been up to mischief in Vienna-Liesing for several months. They committed robbery, grievous bodily harm and coercion. However, only one of the perpetrators was over 14 and could be charged.

The lowering of the age of criminal responsibility is once again under political discussion. Fittingly, a case will be heard on Monday in the Vienna Regional Court in which only one member of the group of perpetrators is sitting before Judge Daniela Zwangsleitner - because the majority of the gang is under 14.

"Criminal energy has increased"
The accused is a 15-year-old Austrian with a migrant background who looks 18. He is tall and beefy. One by one, the victims are called into the courtroom as witnesses: a man, boys, a policewoman. They have all experienced violence at the hands of the middle school student and his underage friends. "The criminal energy has increased more and more. It's a good thing they were stopped," says Zwangsleitner, referring to the prison sentence that his young friends were spared.

The criminal energy has increased more and more. It's a good thing they were stopped.

Richterin zu dem 15-Jährigen, der in U-Haft musste.

The violent rampage began in the summer of 2023: The gang surrounded two victims at Höpflerbad in Vienna-Liesing - robbing them of 4.20 euros and 80 cents respectively. They then forced the young people to delete photos and stay in the cabin. "We said: Stay here or we will beat you," the fourth-grader said during the trial. Various assaults followed in October. The reason is said to have been alleged insults of honor: "I just snapped," said the confessed defendant.

Stabbed in the stomach because he "snapped"
For the time being, the violence culminated in the stabbing of an adult Viennese man in the stomach on December 11: "I don't know what happened. I snapped. Then the knife went in", the boy mumbled during the trial. "It didn't go in, it was a deliberate stabbing," Ms. Rat reprimands the defendant, who injured a policewoman on the knee for good measure: "You obviously have a violence problem. Are you aware of that?" asks the judge. "Yes," comes the curt reply.

The sentence: 20 months conditional, one of them fixed for causing grievous bodily harm with intent. The 15-year-old has already served the fixed sentence in custody. The boy receives probation assistance and must continue to attend men's counseling. The victims are awarded a total of 1620 euros in damages.