Expert opinion available

Kellermayr case: investigation “nearing completion”

(Bild: stock.adobe, www.picturedesk.com/HERMANN WAKOLBINGER, Krone KREATIV)

The investigations by the public prosecutor's office in Wels into the case of doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, who committed suicide at the end of July 2022 after receiving threatening and hate mail, are nearing completion. The case is "in the final stages". A decision on how to proceed is expected "in two to three weeks".

Silke Enzlmüller, spokesperson for the authorities, confirmed that a psychiatric report commissioned by the prosecution has now been submitted. The expert opinion should clarify whether and, if so, to what extent the receipt of the hate mail was causal for the doctor's suicide. Enzlmüller was unable to provide any information on the content of the report, as it is currently with the responsible case officer.

Feeling too little protected
Lisa-Maria Kellermayr had received threats by email and on social media - presumably from the anti-vaccination scene - for months during the coronavirus pandemic. She had repeatedly complained that she felt insufficiently protected by the authorities.

In summer 2022, she closed her surgery for safety reasons. A few weeks later, she took her own life. People who had threatened the doctor were also under investigation in Germany; in Austria, the criminal prosecution authority in Wels is responsible for the domestic proceedings.

If you or someone close to you is in an exceptional psychological situation or is experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact the telephone counselling service on 142. You can find other crisis hotlines and emergency numbers HERE.