Never seen the report?

Turnaround in the Pilnacek case: witness changes her statement

The deceased former head of the Justice Section Christian Pilnacek

(Bild: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER)

There has been a twist in the Pilnacek case: Karin Wurm, who had filed a complaint, has now corrected her previous statements. As a result of this complaint, two police officers have been under investigation for abuse of authority since April.

As "Die Presse" reported online on Sunday evening, Wurm, a friend of Pilnacek, has now stated that she never saw the reports. It was a "mistake" to "get involved with Peter Pilz". The founder of Liste Jetzt and publisher of ZackZack had the idea for the ad. He contacted Wurm in February and met with her. The complaint was then filed by Volker Sackmann, one of Pilz's lawyers.

It accuses two police officers of unlawfully taking personal belongings from Christian Pilnacek shortly after his death. Pilnacek died suddenly in October 2023 and his body was discovered in a side arm of the Danube. A forensic medical report revealed that the 60-year-old had probably committed suicide. A few hours before his death, he had been stopped by the police for driving under the influence.

It was a mistake to get involved with Peter Pilz.

Karin Wurm

"Wanted light to be shed on the matter"
"Because I wanted light to be shed on the matter. Because I still don't believe in an accident or suicide," said Wurm, explaining why she had met with Pilz after Pilnacek's death. She had "not received a cent" and had only been "a means to an end". According to the report, the items such as Pilnacek's cell phone and wallet were handed over by Wurm's roommate.

The investigation into the two police officers for abuse of authority has so far yielded hardly any results. However, a commission of inquiry with 60 interviewees during Pilnacek's time in office did reveal anomalies: For example, evidence was found of a "two-tier justice system" between 2010 and 2023. The report can be viewed on the website of the Ministry of Justice.