Police too violent?

Mother and son in court after elevator breakdown

The mother and son at the second day of the trial in Vienna.

(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

The versions in the Vienna Provincial Court regarding a police operation following a lift breakdown could not be more different. But it's not just the two defendants, a claustrophobic 28-year-old and his mother, who disagree. The intervening officers also describe the events surrounding the alleged resistance in slightly different ways. 

"It was so loud. Everyone was shouting." - "It was a huge gathering of people." - "The situation was totally confusing." These are the statements of several police officers in the Vienna Landl. They are at least as confused as the operation in question on April 26, 2023 in a residential building in Vienna-Floridsdorf.

Defendant was afraid of confined spaces
After a birthday party, a 28-year-old man got stuck in an elevator with his mother. The woman explained to the judge on the first day of the trial in October: "He can't stand confined spaces or crowds of people." The Viennese man had a panic attack and damaged the elevator door - a neighbor called the emergency services because of the noise.

Contradictory versions in the courtroom
The evening ultimately ended for the mother in hospital and the 28-year-old in the holding cell, sprayed with pepper spray and a dog bite on his elbow. Now they are sitting next to each other in the dock on charges including resisting law enforcement.

What happened between the arrival of the police and the arrests remains a mystery, even after numerous witnesses. The two defendants and the sister talk about typical symptoms of a panic attack in the 28-year-old. And the completely exaggerated behavior of the police, who were ultimately on the scene with 30 men and a dog squadron. They violently overpowered the young Viennese and also pushed the mother, who suffers from several physical ailments, to the ground - so hard that she even lost consciousness ...

On the second day of the trial, the summoned officers still disagree about what exactly happened: each of them describes the events slightly differently. But they unanimously speak of two aggressive people who were almost unable to overpower them and put up massive resistance - otherwise the situation was "simply dynamic".

Because the judge wants to hear more witnesses, the trial is adjourned again.