Among other things, the trio punched and kicked the woman until she lay motionless on the ground. The case had already been heard at Leoben Regional Court in December 2022 and July 2023. The previous year, the trial ended with guilty verdicts for attempted murder and prison sentences of 14 to 17 years. The three were also ordered to be committed to a forensic therapy center.

Case heard for the third time
However, the Supreme Court did not recognize this decision, which is why the case was now heard a third time in Leoben, with the only issues being the amount of the sentence and the committal. In their opening statements, all three defense lawyers argued that the prison sentences were too high. These should be significantly lower - especially as the victim had suffered no permanent damage and not at all as serious injuries as some had claimed, said one of the lawyers.

One of the three accused had only contributed to solving the crime in the first place with his statements and, according to his defense lawyer, only made a "minor contribution to the crime". Nevertheless, he had almost received the maximum sentence, which was too much. Following the deliberations of the jury and the professional judges, the prison sentences on Monday were lower: ten years and nine months, twelve years and eight months and 13 years and seven months. They will also be sent to a forensic therapy center. The verdict is not yet final.

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