Tragedy in Stainz

Woman lay dead for days in Styrian secondary school

The black flag flies in front of the school.

(Bild: Schwaiger Gerald)

Tragedy in western Styria: early on Monday morning, the body of a cleaner was discovered in the Stainz secondary school, where she had apparently been lying since Friday afternoon. The crisis intervention team is on duty and there is great grief in the town.

Monday began with a shock at the secondary school in Stainz in western Styria: at around 5 a.m., a cleaner who had just started her morning shift came across a female corpse lying in a labyrinthine part of the building.

Working as a cleaner at the school
As it turned out, it was a colleague who had apparently collapsed during her work and died on the spot. The local woman, who was employed as a cleaner by the municipality, was last seen on Friday lunchtime. Particularly tragic: she had probably been lying dead in the school for days.

Daughter believed that mother wanted to be alone
The mayor of Stainz, Karl Bohnstingl, was alerted early on Monday morning: "We suspect that the woman died on Friday afternoon and was unfortunately not found because the school is closed at the weekend. Her daughter had tried to contact her on Saturday and Sunday, but thought she wanted some peace and quiet."

We suspect that the woman died on Friday afternoon and was unfortunately not found because the school is closed at the weekend.

Stainzer Bürgermeister Karl Bohnstingl

On Monday morning, the management informed the parents of the pupils about the death and did not even open the school: "We ask you to leave your child at home today." Meanwhile, Karl Bohnstingl and a crisis intervention team looked after six children who were already present: "We then lit a candle together."

There is great sadness in the town: the New Year's reception on Monday evening was canceled. "Nobody feels like celebrating," says the mayor sadly to the "Krone".