Lay judges pass sentence

Rape, serious threat: six years in prison

The verdict was handed down at Klagenfurt Regional Court.

(Bild: Marcel Tratnik)

A serious verdict was handed down at Klagenfurt Regional Court on Friday. The charges were rape, dangerous threats, offenses against the Weapons Act and aggravated coercion.

According to the indictment, the man allegedly raped his wife, the mother of their child, and forced her to prostitute herself. Prosecutor Sarah Ofner emphasized: "The accused shows no trace of responsibility for his actions and claims that the victim is a drug addict and wants to get rid of him with fabricated statements." She accused him of using a "high degree of violence and coercion".

"Cry for help" in Hungarian
The case got rolling when the woman plucked up the courage to confide in the Hungarian-speaking owner in her mother tongue in a cell phone store in Völkermarkt. The accused, who accompanied her, reacted increasingly nervously as he did not understand the language. "He also has several relevant convictions and still shows no signs of remorse," the public prosecutor emphasized.

Defense speaks of contradictions
The man's defense lawyer, Enrik Mandl, questioned the credibility of the woman's statements. "She is the only and main witness for the prosecution," he argued, stating that the woman had contradicted herself before the police and the court. In addition, the offense of rape was not fulfilled and the accusations of pimping and kidnapping were based solely on her statements.

With 18 previous convictions, the defendant was already no unknown quantity. The panel of lay judges chaired by Judge Gernot Kugi ultimately found him guilty on several counts: rape, making dangerous threats with a weapon despite an existing weapons ban and aggravated coercion. However, he was acquitted of the other charges as they could not be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Six and a half years in prison
In view of the seriousness of the offenses and the fact that they were committed during his probationary period, the man must now serve a total sentence of six and a half years - four years as a result of today's verdict plus 30 months from his previous convictions. The defense has announced an appeal and an appeal for annulment, while the public prosecutor's office initially made no statement.