Schoolgirls report

“I’m scared every time I drive home”

Leonie Kiesling (left) and Emily Gutmann share the same concerns: that young girls in Vienna are no longer safe at night.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe.com, zVg (2))

Reports of youth gangs stabbing young women in Vienna are increasingly restricting their freedom. Two schoolgirls from Kagran share their experiences. Meanwhile, formerly quiet suburbs are also affected.

The violent incidents around Reumannplatz are spreading far and wide - all the way to the 22nd district. Leonie Kiesling and Emily Gutmann live in a quiet terraced housing estate in Kagran compared to Innerfavoriten. But that doesn't make them feel safe.

"I've heard a few stories from friends who had something happen to them when they were out alone at night. Even if it's just a stupid pick-up line," says 13-year-old Leonie. Although she is at an age when it is normal to go out and meet up with friends, even after dark, she has been feeling uncomfortable about it for some time. "I ask myself how I can protect myself. If I walk around with a pepper spray in my pocket, I'll end up being punished," says the schoolgirl.

Father fears for 13-year-old daughter
Her father is in the same dilemma. "Now you have to be afraid when your daughter is out and about in Vienna," Manuel Kiesling told Die Krone. He also feels helpless in his role as a father. He is even more afraid of the fall, when the container classes in the middle school opposite his house will be occupied by refugees. He and other concerned parents and residents have tried to oppose this with two demonstrations, but to no avail.

I often take detours and therefore usually come home too late, simply out of fear that someone will ambush me.

Emily Gutmann (13)

The Kiesling family are not alone in their worries. "I often take detours and therefore usually come home too late, simply because I'm afraid that someone will ambush me," reports 14-year-old Emily, "I'm scared every time I drive home, I find that sad."

Incidents in "quiet" outer districts are becoming more frequent
The 22nd district is by no means the only outlying district where the security situation has deteriorated. In Liesing, the area around Liesinger Platz and Maurer Hauptplatz in particular has deteriorated. Youth gangs sometimes camp out there and fights are the order of the day.

The main victims are the pupils of the Kalksburg grammar school. "Pupils are followed onto the buses to steal their cell phones. Or they 'escape' into their parents' cars, which are already waiting for them," says Simon B.