Child (12) is the victim

Dog crate case: now authorities’ employees are being targeted

(Bild: zVg, Krone KREATIV)

There are now further investigations into the case involving a boy who was twelve years old at the time of the crime and who was locked in a dog crate by his mother in the Waldviertel region. These are directed against two employees of the authorities who were called as witnesses at the trial.

The case from the Waldviertel region shocked Austria: the boy's 33-year-old mother had beaten, tied up, gagged and repeatedly locked her son in a dog box for hours at least from July to November 2022. She also starved the child.

The woman was arrested on November 24, 2022, and her 40-year-old accomplice was handcuffed at the beginning of March 2023. She and the child's mother had been best friends for years.

The woman from Waldviertel is also said to have repeatedly given the first defendant detailed instructions on how to abuse the child. The suggestion to lock the boy in the dog crate is also said to have come from the 40-year-old.

20 years in prison for mother 
The trial against the two women took place at the end of February 2024. The mother was sentenced to 20 years in prison for attempted murder, torturing or neglecting minors, young or defenceless persons and deprivation of liberty. Her accomplice received 14 years. 

Abuse of authority is at issue
The public prosecutor's office in Krems has now launched an investigation into two employees of the Waidhofen a. d. Thaya district authority. There is suspicion of abuse of authority, said authority spokesman Franz Hütter on Thursday on request. The two social workers entrusted with the case are said to be involved.

The mother of the now 14-year-old boy in the courtroom

(Bild: Anja Richter)

Two endangerment reports
According to Hütter, the two people are listed as defendants. The public prosecutor's office in Krems did not provide any further details. At the end of February, the accused - a man and a woman - were questioned as witnesses during the jury trial at Krems Regional Court. Following two endangerment reports, the child and youth welfare services made unannounced home visits to the mother and son on October 28 and November 18, 2022 (four days before the boy fell into a coma).

No danger-in-delay measure taken
Initially, both social workers were on site, but at the second appointment, the lead employee from the Waidhofen a. d. Thaya district authority reportedly appeared alone. Although he did locate abnormalities, there was no reason to take a so-called danger-in-delay measure.

"The public prosecutor's office in Krems recently requested the report of the expert commission on child protection. This was complied with at the beginning of the week," said the office of Lower Austrian State Councillor Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SPÖ) on Thursday, who once again emphasized that she would contribute fully to the clarification. The "complete investigation of the case" was "of the utmost interest" for the state councillor, it was emphasized.