Shocking trial

Eight-year-old abused in Vienna: “She was lonely”

Eight-year-old abused: 33-year-old accused in Vienna.

(Bild: Ric, Krone KREATIV)

A shocking case that will be heard in Vienna on Wednesday shows just how dangerous it can be for children online. A 33-year-old Viennese man persuaded an eight-year-old girl to send him numerous intimate pictures and videos. What the accused told the court is repulsive. Surprisingly, the academic went free for his trial. In the end, however, he was given an unconditional prison sentence.

It's hard to bear what you hear on Wednesday in Vienna's regional court. A 33-year-old academic takes his seat in front of the judge in courtroom 201. He chatted with an eight-year-old girl in Vienna for ten days in May: "She messaged me on SnapChat," he says. He pretended to be 19-year-old "Sam" and the child quickly told him her real age. This did not stop the man from getting the eight-year-old to send him pictures and videos of sexual acts. He also sent her pictures and videos.

Brother noticed the chats
The primary school pupil and the 33-year-old exchanged several hundred messages in May 2024. Because the older brother noticed this, the man was discovered. The mother immediately contacted the police. Unbelievable: the perpetrator of the abuse was not arrested. He was not remanded in custody.

The Viennese man pleaded guilty in court, but what he said had nothing to do with an admission of guilt. "I felt sorry for her, she was lonely and often alone at home for hours," he claims and also says: "It came from her herself. She voluntarily sent me things like that. So it was 50:50."

Perpetrator becomes entangled in contradictions 
The faces in the courtroom freeze. The accused is entangled in contradictions. On the one hand, he claims to have been under the influence of drugs and alcohol and to have heard voices. On the other hand, he remembers in detail the messages that did not involve sexual acts. "I don't have a problem, I don't have a disease. I like women who are my age or older." - The presiding judge contradicted this: "You are confusing an eight-year-old with an adult. That's called paedophilia."

Two years and four months in prison
The public is excluded from the evidentiary proceedings. The lay jury's verdict is swift: 28 months in prison! "You actively established a relationship with the girl. She certainly didn't do anything herself," clarifies Judge Danja Petschniker.

The unconditional imprisonment was necessary for general preventive reasons. In custody, the man has time to think about his crime. "We all don't have a good impression of you here", says Ms. Rat, "I think you feel sorry for yourself the most." The defendant accepts the sentence and will soon receive a letter informing him that he will be going to prison. He must pay the child 5000 euros in damages.