Sister "insulted"

Trial – Boy (16) stabbed in the head with a knife

(Bild: APA/Herbert Pfarrhofer (Symbolbild))

On Monday, a young man (21) had to answer to a lay jury at the regional court in Vienna for allegedly stabbing a 16-year-old boy in the head with a folding knife and inflicting cuts on his neck and upper body after an AMS course at an education center in Vienna-Favoriten. 

The accused claimed that the young man from Iraq had "insulted" his sister: "I was there when he harassed her. He said nasty things." The accused could no longer remember the exact wording. They were "clearly words that were offensive".

"I was afraid"
The 21-year-old wanted to confront the boy at the beginning of April, which led to an argument. Several men surrounded him. He felt threatened. He then pulled out "a small knife" and "waved it around". It was not his intention to hurt anyone: "I was scared. I was attacked by several people. When I saw that I was bleeding, I used the knife. I did it to defend myself."

Incident spread on social media
This account did not match the statements made by the defendant's sister to the police after the incident, nor did it match a video that an eyewitness had recorded with his smartphone and posted on social media. The video, which was played in the courtroom, shows the accused approaching the 16-year-old as he leaves the educational institution. There is an exchange of words and brief scuffles, then the 16-year-old backs away, obviously trying to avoid an escalation.

The accused follows him, literally swings the knife, several people - including a teacher at the educational institution - try to hold him back in vain.

Not charged with attempted murder
The 16-year-old suffered a stab wound to the head, which caused a bone splinter on the outer bone plate of the skullcap, two cuts in the upper abdomen and rib region as well as a long horizontal cut at the level of the larynx and a stab wound between the head-turning muscle and the larynx. Despite this, the public prosecutor's office did not charge the act of violence as attempted murder.

 "I was surprised that the public prosecutor's office only assumed attempted grievous bodily harm. Fortunately, the wound to my neck was not very deep. But if I slit someone's neck, that is usually an attempt to murder in TV crime dramas," the presiding judge stated.

Sister spoke of misunderstanding
The defendant's younger sister had attended an English course together with the later victim. The two wanted to spend the break together and she was seen in the auditorium by the 21-year-old, who wanted to attend an information event at the education center every day. The accused probably overheard their conversation and misinterpreted the 16-year-old's words. Although the sister explained to him that it had been a misunderstanding, the 21-year-old then intercepted the 16-year-old outside the education center.

The trial was adjourned until the beginning of September to take further evidence. The defendant, who - possibly due to the heat - had himself brought to the trial by the court guards in a white undershirt, barefoot and wearing slippers, will remain in custody until then.