CHRONIC
A 38-year-old from Gloggnitz (Neunkirchen district) has stolen social benefits for several years. She claimed, among other things, that her then four-year-old son had been sexually abused. The damage should amount to at least 167,000 euros.
The series of scams began in November 2010 and reads like a thriller: A 38-year-old accused a paramedic of sexually abusing her then four-year-old son. She tried to persuade a then 15-year-old to make false statements. At the time, the student was working in the woman’s household and should have testified that the four-year-old had been in the apartment complex near the Samaritan Association unsupervised for around 30 minutes. But the girl refused and changed her apprenticeship position.
Because no injuries were found on the woman’s son at the time, and there were no traces or physical evidence to support the woman’s claims, the case once morest the paramedic accused of sexual abuse was dropped by the Wiener Neustadt public prosecutor in February 2011.
Woman received care allowance for years
However, the woman claimed that her child had been seriously damaged and applied to the St. Pölten Pension Insurance Institution (PVA) for care allowance. During several medical examinations, she stated that her son became incontinent several times a day, might not eat or sleep and might not leave the house alone. During the last examination in October 2021, she still stated that she had to help her son with personal hygiene and getting dressed. In fact, he played football in a club as a secondary school student, is currently completing a secondary school and is an active member of a sports club.
Over the years, the woman was able to sneak in more than 100,000 euros in care allowance and increased family allowance. In addition, the convicted deceived the authorities with regard to her housing situation and her income and stole another 67,000 euros. In addition to the PVA, the tax office and the district authority, the Federal Social Welfare Office is also likely to be among the victims. The full extent of the damage is not yet known.
Fraud in the district of Baden failed
When the police were already investigating the woman, she briefly changed her main residence to the Baden district. There, too, she applied once more for social benefits – but without success. As the police have now announced, she was sentenced to two years in prison on January 12 at the Wiener Neustadt District Court for serious commercial fraud and defamation, six months of which were unconditional. The statements made by the woman were refuted in numerous hearings of witnesses.