Committed to an institution

Styrian strangled girlfriend next to sleeping baby

The Styrian denied any intention to kill: "I definitely didn't want to hurt her!"

(Bild: Stockner, Krone KREATIV)

A man from Graz was committed to a forensic therapy center by a jury in the provincial criminal court on Monday for allegedly almost strangling his partner in November 2023. As he was deemed not sane, there was no charge of attempted murder. Shortly before the trial, the victim tried to withdraw the massive accusations. The decision is not yet final.

"He tried to strangle his partner on November 30, 2023," said prosecutor Gilbert Zechner at the beginning in very clear terms. He explained that the couple, who have been together since 2012, had had "repeated violent arguments". There had also been charges, but the woman had then withdrawn them. She herself spoke of a "toxic relationship", explained the public prosecutor.

Shortly before the crime, the woman had apparently wanted to break up with the 55-year-old. He then threatened to commit suicide and claimed to have taken pills. He was taken to a mental hospital, from which he was released the same day. At home, he wanted to cook himself something, but fell asleep - due to a lack of sleep and alcohol, he said.

"If I can't have you, nobody should have you" 
When the whole apartment was filled with smoke, he went to the woman in the bedroom, where she was lying in bed with their two-year-old child next to her. In the meantime, she had been active on Facebook again, which fueled his jealousy. "If I can't have you, no one should have you" he allegedly said, grabbing her by the neck and choking her to unconsciousness. Only when he thought she was dead did he let go of her, the prosecutor said. She regained consciousness and was able to call 911. "Fortunately, she did not die," the prosecutor described. He had no doubts about the Graz man's mental illness.

He is a loving person and a loving father and misses his daughter very much. He didn't want to kill me, I had a panic attack.

Das Opfer

From the defense lawyer's point of view, things looked a little different. He believed that his client was not sane. However, he found "divergent statements" regarding the course of the crime, namely from the victim herself. The woman had written an email to the presiding judge shortly before the trial in which she apologized for her absence and stated that she was on vacation abroad. She had "thought a lot" about the incident. "I did not suffer any injury," she wrote, which incidentally corresponds with the photos. She was suffering from panic attacks and had probably fainted as a result; contrary to her statements to the police, she no longer wanted to know anything about choking.

Judge Erik Nauta presided over the trial

(Bild: Stockner)

Woman screamed hysterically
"I didn't want to hurt or kill her," the 55-year-old claimed during his interrogation. He had not slept for two days at the time, his pills had run out and he had consumed alcohol. That was why he had fallen asleep. When he noticed the smoke, he woke her up and said "We have to get out of here". She "became hysterical and screamed", so he grabbed her by the neck and said "stop it". He may have squeezed "a little harder", he admitted. "Why did you squeeze at all?" Judge Erik Nauta wanted to know. "It was a reflex".

The partner had already been convicted once for giving false evidence and defamation. "She is a notorious liar," claimed the victim. If the direct questioning of the victim is waived, the jury could reach a decision on Monday.

The jury found by 5:3 votes that it was an attempted murder. As the psychiatric expert had classified the 55-year-old as not sane and the lay judges had unanimously agreed with his opinion, the victim will only be admitted to a forensic therapy center. The decision is not legally binding.