Dispute escalated

Eight-year-old’s bike taken away from him in the playground

The dispute over a bicycle escalated completely in Graz.

(Bild: Patrick Huber)

A bizarre trial in Graz on Wednesday: in revenge for breaking her son's balance bike, a woman from Graz took away an eight-year-old's bike. "Until his family paid for the damage, then I would have given it back," argued the 28-year-old single mother.

Conflicts do occur in playgrounds, where parents' world views often clash. But they rarely end up in court. Wednesday's case at the Graz Regional Criminal Court involved coercion, damage to property and permanent deprivation of property.

A young mother allegedly pushed an eight-year-old off his bike and then demolished and hid the bike. However, the accused herself had to be presented by the police first because she had apparently forgotten her load. "I don't know that I got it," she told Judge Catherine Farmer. "But that's your signature up there? You received the summons in person." - "Oh. Yes. Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

I have half the estate as a witness. I would never throw a child to the ground. That's an insinuation.

Die Angeklagte aufgebracht

"I wanted the 40 euros. That's a lot of money for me"
She doesn't know what it's actually about. When the judge explains it to her, the 28-year-old speaks up: "I'm being charged because he broke my son's balance bike. I don't believe that!" However, she admits that she took the eight-year-old's bike. "I just wanted his family to pay for my son's broken bike. I wanted 40 euros. That's a lot of money for me. Then I would have given the bike back anyway."

But she never threw the boy off his bike. "I wouldn't attack a child in my life. He got off himself. That's such a blatant accusation. It's a joke." Besides, she wasn't strong enough for that. "I was just holding the bike by the handlebars."

Witnesses say you lifted the front of the bike and the victim fell off the back.

Richterin Catherine Farmer

"He told me not to put on airs"
This was also the third incident with the neighboring boy. He is also said to have damaged a pedal tractor and a scooter belonging to her son. "And you also confronted his father about this?" asks Judge Catherine Farmer. "Yes, but he told me not to make a fuss. It's just material stuff. It doesn't matter." When she then asked him to give her the money, the situation escalated.

The eight-year-old's grandma and grandpa pulled and tugged at the object of desire until the grandfather finally snatched the child's bike from her. "Grandma hit me and shouted at me. I was also injured," emphasizes the single mother. However, this case was dropped by the public prosecutor's office.

Because the defendant named witnesses to confirm her version of the incident, the case was adjourned.