Two and a half years in prison

Three stab wounds: Victim wants to marry attacker

The 28-year-old kitchen assistant in the Vienna countryside has to answer for attempted murder - many tears flow.

(Bild: Bartel Gerhard)

The two women from Vienna actually wanted to get married soon. But now one of them, a 28-year-old woman, was in Vienna Landl on Wednesday - charged with attempted murder. She allegedly stabbed her sweetheart three times in the back. But the victim (29) doesn't care, she just wants to be reunited with the defendant. In the afternoon, the verdict: for the jury, it was not attempted murder; two and a half years in prison.

It was a very tearful trial in the Vienna countryside. The 28-year-old former kitchen assistant is trembling, trying to quickly make eye contact with her loved one, who will not be testifying before the jury today. She has exercised her right to excuse herself. However, her soulmate has to take her seat because she is accused of having stabbed her girlfriend three times in the chest last October after a night of partying at the Vienna Oktoberfest. The reason for this is said to have been a jealous quarrel and hysteria.

Knife rammed into back instead of reconciliation
The story: the two women, driven by jealousy, are said to have left the party in Vienna's Prater after an argument. But instead of going home, they made their first stop at the Praterstern police station - the 29-year-old allegedly stole the purse and cell phone from the woman who was later accused. As there were no clues and the 28-year-old was apparently drunk, they then went to their shared apartment, where everything escalated. There are said to have been several attempts at reconciliation, but the accused simply could not calm down. When her partner tried to grab her to hug her, the bloody deed took its course.

"Luckily there was no death"
The 28-year-old stabbed her friend with a knife that she had previously used to cut the dog food to size. A whole three times! But the Austrian still can't explain how. "I didn't know that I still had a knife in my hand," she claimed to the jury. "I just wanted to free myself from the embrace." She would "never" have wanted to hurt her friend. Her defense lawyer Ernst Schillhammer is also certain that the 28-year-old did not act with intent to murder: "There is no motive. There is no plan. And the most important thing: there are no dead bodies."

Two operations until recovery
But when forensic pathologist Nikolaus Klupp gave his expert opinion, the courtroom suddenly fell silent: the blade with which the defendant had first pierced the victim's jacket and then his skin was almost ten centimetres long. "That can only happen with a certain amount of force," said the forensic pathologist. The 29-year-old partner had to undergo two operations. The stitches caused the chest cavity to open up.

They are still in love with each other and want to get married.

Verteidiger der Angeklagten

And yet the 29-year-old doesn't want to be angry with her lover. She had even made a false statement on behalf of her sweetheart; a case was brought against her. The public prosecutor is also aware of the extent of their affection: "They are still in love with each other and want to get married."

But the couple will not be reunited for the time being. But they can still breathe a sigh of relief. Because the jury decides against attempted murder. "Only" two and a half years in prison for the Viennese woman for grievous bodily harm.