Prosecutor emphasizes:

Humiliated girl with “obvious pleasure”

The defendants in a row in the middle of the courtroom.

(Bild: Lovric Antonio)

This case has made headlines across Austria and has been on trial in Salzburg Provincial Court since Friday: Eight teenagers allegedly sexually abused two girls (15, 16) together in a humiliating manner in December 2023. They sent videos of it to their friends. Four young people were given unconditional prison sentences, which were not final.

The allegations only came to light months after the incident: an alleged gang rape by eight young people on two underage victims, which took place at a party in an apartment in Bischofshofen on 25 December 2023. Now, more than a year later, the young people aged between 15 and 18 took their seats in the jury courtroom of the Salzburg Regional Court in front of the jury senate.

"Exploited their defenceless state"
For the public prosecutor, there is no question: "They took advantage of the victims' condition to abuse them." Both girls were heavily intoxicated that evening and can only remember a few details. The prosecutor describes the victims' condition as "senseless" and "defenceless". However, the perpetrators virtually convicted themselves: through "a large number of videos" that were made during the acts of abuse. "Afterwards, there were attempts to make the videos disappear", says the public prosecutor. But the evidence was widespread. The youths even used objects during the abuse and humiliated the girls, one even with "obvious pleasure", according to the prosecutor.

An accused as a "good Samaritan"
In addition to the main charge, the boys are also accused of coercion and theft. According to their defense lawyers, three of the eight defendants fully confessed. The others only admitted to possessing the videos or filming them. One of the defense lawyers even said: "The girls actively demanded the acts". And another even sees his client as the "good Samaritan" because he was not directly involved in the abuse, but only played the driver and provided the hard alcohol.

Immediately after the opening statements, the court excluded the public to protect the victims. According to an expert, both suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Victims' lawyer Sabina Moser added: "According to her family, she is a different person now and has become very withdrawn."

In the afternoon, the Senate announced the first five sentences: For four juveniles, it set unconditional prison sentences of between 18 and 24 months. One, who had only filmed anyway, was given five months' probation. The others are still awaiting trial.