Viennese (24) charged

Mother: “Marc did not abuse the girl”

(Bild: Stephan Tesarek, zVg, Krone KREATIV)

The 24-year-old Viennese Marc D. has been in a US prison since April: he is accused of having sex with a minor and kidnapping. The mother is fighting for his life!

The love of a mother for her child knows no bounds, and the willpower of a single parent certainly does not. The "Krone" meets Verena D. in a coffee house in Vienna-Favoriten. With tears in her eyes, the delicatessen employee (41) tells an unbelievable story.

Verena D. is fighting for her son imprisoned in the USA. In the "Krone" interview, her tears come again and again.

(Bild: Heinz Stephan Tesarek)

Her son has been in a prison in Florida for months. The accusations are serious. He allegedly abused and even abducted a 15-year-old girl. Confusing accusations, at least for the family and friends of the introverted IT technician.

Marc D.

(Bild: Mugshots Orlando; Krone KREATIV)

His mother explains: "Marc met and fell in love with the girl in an online computer game. They wrote messages to each other for months and she made him believe that she was already 19 years old. And then he just followed his heart and wanted to meet the love of his life in Orlando. Yes, they also had sex. But no, he certainly didn't kidnap or abuse her. He didn't even know that she was still underage. He's not like that at all."

Marc met and fell in love with the girl in an online computer game. They wrote messages to each other for months and she made him believe that she was already 19 years old.

Marcs Mutter Verena D.

Case brings back memories of a then 18-year-old
The explosive case brings back memories of an Upper Austrian almost six years ago with striking parallels. The then 18-year-old also wore orange convict clothing in Florida after a night of love with a 15-year-old who faked a birth certificate to make him believe she was 19. The teenager was eventually released after a thriller involving a legal tug-of-war.

Marc's mother Verena D., for whom the accusations of the US public prosecutor's office are incomprehensible, is also hoping for this. Following his arrest - on the very second day of his trip and after his first fatal night of love in the hotel - her son is now in custody in the notorious Brevard County Jail awaiting trial. At the first hearing, incidentally without a public defender (!), bail was set at 160,000 euros, the same as for a felon.

The first meeting took place on Cocoa Beach in Florida, after which they went to a hotel for a fatal night of love.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Creative Studio 79)

Rough customs prevail in Brevard County Jail. Marc D. has had to experience this first-hand since the end of April.

(Bild: IMAGO/USA TODAY Network)

Mother has taken on a second job
A sum that his family in Austria will probably never be able to afford. All of their money is already going towards Marc's survival: "He freezes at night and is fed poor quality prison food. We've now had to order him a seriously overpriced long-sleeved shirt and healthy food. That costs us hundreds of euros a month. I've taken on a second job and we're selling all our belongings," says D., describing her financial plight. During the "Krone" interview in a Viennese café, she repeatedly holds her breath and struggles to hold back tears.

He freezes at night and is fed poor quality prison food. We have now had to order him a grossly overpriced long-sleeved shirt and healthy food.

Die besorgte Mutter zur „Krone“

After the initial shock, Marc's family naturally turned to the local authorities. That's why a local lawyer is representing him for the time being at the minimum rate at the behest of the red-white-red government. "Since the arrest became known, the embassy in Washington and the honorary consulate in Orlando have been in contact with the citizen, his relatives and the local authorities. The person concerned is doing well under the circumstances. We are continuing our efforts to provide him with the best possible care," confirmed a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry.

Trial still to start - facing 30 years in prison
A glimmer of hope for Verena D., but nothing more. Because whether her 24-year-old Marc will ever be allowed to feel a breath of freedom again is on a knife's edge. His sentence in the US state is 30 years in prison! In a US prison, that probably means the highest risk of death. Especially with this terrible accusation of being a child molester.