The target was Westbahnhof

Attack planned: 14-year-old remains in custody

A teenager is suspected of having planned a terrorist attack at Vienna's Westbahnhof train station.

(Bild: GEORG HOCHMUTH)

A 14-year-old boy in Vienna is said to have planned a terrorist attack from his children's room. The target: Vienna's Westbahnhof train station. He had already put his fantasy on paper in the form of a sketch. The IS fanatic's pre-trial detention has now been extended due to the risk of committing the crime. 

Various knives, suspected bomb-making utensils and an IS flag - a search of a teenager's children's room in Vienna-Währing revealed terrible things. In addition to Islamist postings on TikTok, the 14-year-old apparently already had concrete plans for a terrorist attack at Vienna's Westbahnhof train station. 

"Terror boy" arrested on February 10
Following a tip from a friendly intelligence service, the boy with Turkish roots was arrested on 10 February - two days later he was remanded in custody on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organization or criminal organization. Just a few days before the bloodbath in Villach ...

Danger of crime still exists
The Viennese IS fanatic is now standing before the detention and legal protection judge for the first time since the sentence was imposed. Despite his young age, the judge decides to extend his pre-trial detention by one month. He will then have to be re-examined. At the moment, the reason given is that there is still a risk of committing the crime. 

Further investigations must now be awaited. He is already taking part in a deradicalization programme while in custody.

Anwältin Anna Mair verteidigt den 14-Jährigen.

Bild: zVg

Defense lawyer Anna Mair points out that this decision is not surprising, especially in view of the attack in Villach. Nevertheless, the investigation is still in its infancy. First of all, the 14-year-old's cell phone would have to be analyzed.

Probably the biggest clue to a suspected planned terrorist attack: in his children's room, officers from the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) found a sketch showing a building with "Westbahnhof" written in large letters above it. And stick figures with knives and machine guns ...