The St. Pölten public prosecutor’s office confirmed to the APA that the charges include two rapes (one of which was attempted) as well as numerous other allegations. A report confirms that the Austrian has a mental disorder, but not an insanity.
According to the psychiatric-neurological report commissioned by the public prosecutor, the defendant has a sexual preference disorder in the form of compulsive touching. However, the disorder does not constitute insanity within the meaning of Section 11 of the Criminal Code, said public prosecutor’s spokesman Leopold Bien, “and was not judged to be so serious and persistent that it would be a reason for placement in a forensic therapeutic center in accordance with Section 21, Paragraph 2 of the Criminal Code.”
There is a risk of imprisonment of up to ten years
This means that the defendant is not subject to the enforcement of the measures. According to the public prosecutor’s office, he faces a prison sentence of up to ten years. The public prosecutor’s office accuses the 20-year-old of attempted and completed rape, another attempted assault, as well as several cases of sexual harassment and public sexual acts and other crimes. The indictment is already legally binding.
The 19-year-old at the time of the crime is said to have not only pulled up the dress or skirt of women between the ages of 17 and 33 over almost two months last year in Vienna-Wieden and Vienna-Margareten, both in broad daylight and at night. but also sometimes touched them or exposed themselves. Such a case also occurred on June 30th in Margareten, when investigators from the task force to combat street crime (EGS) were nearby. The officers then arrested the Viennese. The state police department launched a call for other possible victims and published a photo of the young man. A total of 21 women reported to the police. The defendant is currently in custody.
The investigation by the public prosecutor’s office was transferred to the St. Pölten prosecution authority – because of the appearance of bias – because of the personal closeness of a judicial employee to a crime victim. The main proceedings have now been transferred to the St. Pölten Regional Court by the President of the Vienna Higher Regional Court. A trial date is still open.
