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Which offenses should be punished more severely?

There are always discussions in our community about the need to make some adjustments to Austrian criminal law. For many people, the penalties in our country are not high enough, especially for violent crimes or sexual offenses, and people like to refer to the American justice system. For which offenses would you like to see harsher penalties and why?

In the USA, for example, "life imprisonment" means a prison sentence until the death of the convicted person, whereas in this country the average term of imprisonment for life sentences (in the vast majority of cases for murder) is 21 years. For sexual offenses in Austria, a prison sentence of up to ten years applies, and in special circumstances, a longer term of imprisonment may also apply:

If the offense results in serious bodily injury or pregnancy of the raped person, or if the raped person is put in an agonizing state for a longer period of time or is humiliated in a special way, the offender is punished with a prison sentence of five to fifteen years, but if the offense results in the death of the raped person, with a prison sentence of ten to twenty years or with life imprisonment.

§ 201 StGB

In the case of drug trafficking or cruelty to animals, some also call for higher penalties that have a real deterrent effect. In principle, the element of deterrence is the most common argument for harsher penalties - alongside the desire for justice and better protection of society. After all, the longer criminals are locked up, the longer they are logically kept away from society. However, according to studies, harsher penalties do not automatically lead to a reduction in crime. And the costs and overcrowding of prisons are also often cited by critics in this regard.

In your opinion, which crimes should be punished more severely in Austria and why? Do you believe that harsher punishments have a deterrent effect on potential offenders? What negative consequences do you see for the prison system, for example? Can you imagine that increased investment in prevention measures could also have an effect on reducing crime? We look forward to hearing your opinions and suggestions!