Girl molested

Cries for help: passers-by prevented the worst

What happened at the weekend in Carinthia is every woman's nightmare: a 32-year-old man first harassed a 16-year-old girl, prevented her from escaping and sexually assaulted her on a massive scale. The girl screamed loudly for help, drawing the attention of passers-by.

Only a few details of the terrible case are known: On Sunday, a 16-year-old girl from central Carinthia met a 32-year-old Carinthian man at an event. The meeting was to end badly ...

Woman offered to take her home
The man had offered to take the young woman home. During the course of the night, the 16-year-old actually agreed to ride in the man's car. Incidentally, the police will not reveal where the two of them were traveling to in the car and where they had previously met: "You have to understand that we are protecting the victims! And to a certain extent, we also protect the perpetrators," says Waltraud Dullnigg, spokesperson for the Carinthia Provincial Police Directorate, in an interview with the "Krone" newspaper.

The 32-year-old stopped the car in a parking lot and harassed his passenger. The girl then tried to flee from the car - but the man held the teenager by her clothes. This caused both of them to fall. According to the police, the man then allegedly "massively sexually harassed" the 16-year-old. 

Loud cries for help saved the girl
The girl immediately screamed loudly for help - fortunately, a couple nearby heard the screams and rushed to the scene. The passers-by pushed the man away from the 16-year-old girl. She pressed charges and the 32-year-old was taken to Klagenfurt prison.

How severe the punishment will be in a trial depends on the circumstances, says Dullnigg: "Depending on whether he is charged with sexual harassment, sexual assault or even attempted rape. That is a matter for the public prosecutor's office."