Boy is in custody

Dangerous boy (14) threatens to kill Viennese politician

A 14-year-old suspected IS fighter has been in custody in Korneuburg prison for more than a month.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/P. Huber, stock.adobe.com)

Another shock about a young IS fanatic: a boy from Lower Austria is said to have called for violence against infidels online. A Viennese city politician was apparently also targeted. The pupil, who comes from a well-integrated family, was arrested following information from Germany.

On Tuesday, police reports of a raid on three IS suspects (16, 17 and 19 years old), who are said to have shared IS propaganda material in the district of Tulln, caused a stir. They remained at large.

Another highly controversial case, also involving Lower Austria, was not openly communicated to the outside world. As the "Krone" learned, a boy was arrested from his children's room at the end of July and taken into custody at the Korneuburg Justice Center. Again following a tip-off from Germany.

Risk of committing and carrying out the crime
However, it wasn't messenger services that blew his cover, but daily internet monitoring in our neighboring country, where the boy's TikTok and Instagram profiles caught the eye. On August 8, the detention of the 14-year-old Austrian with Afghan roots was extended by one month due to the risk of committing and carrying out the crime.

This case is also about IS terror!

The Korneuburg public prosecutor's office confirms that the pupil is in prison for terrorist association and making dangerous threats in connection with the Weapons Act: "He has shared messages glorifying IS on several accounts on the internet. Videos of attacks and IS flags were found, as well as calls for violence against people of other faiths," explains the prosecution spokesperson.

I have been going to prisons for 38 years. But for the first time, I feel like I'm really sitting opposite a child. Both physically and mentally.

Rechtsanwalt Christian Werner

Bild: Klemens Groh

However, a concrete threat was leaked. Investigators found a picture on the boy's smartphone showing three people with their heads ringed in red. One of them is a Viennese city politician. A handgun can also be seen and a call to kill can be read. The suspect, who was born in 2009, claims to have only forwarded this photo. He does not even know the politician.

Smartphone ban in case of arrest ...
In custody, the boy is out of line: "I've been going to prison for interviews for 38 years. But for the first time, I feel like I'm really sitting opposite a child. Both physically and mentally," says the lawyer, who will argue for his client's release at the next prison hearing.

However, waiting for a possible trial in freedom would have to be linked to conditions - such as a ban on smartphones and the internet, as well as probation and deradicalization.