Westbahnhof terror

“He said: all unbelievers must die”

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

A pupil is arrested in class. He is said to have planned a terrorist attack. Pupils and parents are left in the dark and alone with their worries for a long time afterwards. They now speak of a failure on the part of the authorities - but the Education Directorate defends itself against the accusations. 

A few days after the terrorist attack in Villach, it became known: Vienna also narrowly escaped a tragedy. A 14-year-old is said to have planned an attack at Westbahnhof station. He was arrested shortly beforehand at the polytechnic school in Schopenhauerstraße by seven police officers (four in uniform, three in plain clothes). Neither parents nor pupils were informed of the reasons or given any support afterwards. It was only when they recognized the school's USB stick in the police photos that the danger dawned on them. They criticized the authorities.

The pupils and parents recognized the school's USB stick in the reports.

(Bild: privat)

Parents speak of failure on the part of the authorities
Parents (we are keeping the names of those affected confidential for their own protection) report that no pupils have been questioned by the investigating authorities to date. Their child was in the same class as the suspect. "He came home and told us that seven police officers had entered the classroom, allegedly because of a knife. We knew immediately that there was more to it than that." They only found out from the newspaper that their son was sitting next to someone who had weapons and explosives instructions with him.

The 14-year-old with Turkish roots was arrested at the school in Währing. He is said to have planned an attack at Westbahnhof.

(Bild: Jöchl Martin)

Prayers and ritual ablutions in the toilet
Classmates describe the teenager as increasingly radicalized. They say he held religious discussions in class and exposed female classmates if they did not wear a headscarf. "He said: 'All infidels should be killed'. That wasn't a joke, he was serious."

He regularly prayed in the school toilet and washed his feet. At the St. Nicholas festival, he asked Muslim pupils not to accept gifts from "infidels". After his arrest, his classmates realized the danger they were in.

Teachers need to be taken seriously when they notice radicalization. Unfortunately, we don't have any specific contact persons.

Thomas Krebs von der Fraktion christlicher Lehrergewerkschaft (FCG)

Bild: fcg

Who knew about it?
The parents have questions: "Who knew that this pupil was already conspicuous? When was the school informed? Were they informed at all? Or did she report it herself and was ignored? I'm sure the teachers raised the alarm long ago - but nothing happened anyway. Someone must have made a decision to simply look the other way."

It gives the impression that they are more concerned about not making problem cases official than ensuring victim protection and safety.

Christian Klar, Schuldirektor und Buchautor

Department of Education: "Have prevented worse"
The Directorate of Education rejects the criticism of the "Krone": "Contact was already made with the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence Service in December and the suspicion of radicalization was reported. There were also counseling sessions with pupils in the class." There was also an exchange with the mother concerned. She was also supported during the arrest. And: "One thing is certain: Thanks to the activities of the school, the principal and the teachers, it was possible to uncover the case and thus prevent worse things from happening."

How many unrecognized threats are there in the classes?
Teachers' unionist Thomas Krebs warns against ignoring warning signs. "Teachers must be taken seriously when they notice radicalization among pupils. There is nothing to play down here." Principal Christian Klar demands that pupils with extremist behavior should not be allowed to return to their classes without consequences. "It is unacceptable for someone to simply return to the same environment after serious incidents."

Parents and teachers are now calling for a clear strategy for dealing with radicalized young people. This has reignited the debate about protecting pupils and the authorities' duty to provide information. Many are asking themselves: how many unrecognized threats are still in Austrian classrooms?