According to the spokesman for the State Police Directorate, Philipp Haßlinger, the lifeless woman was found by relatives on Wednesday morning in the allotment garden on Bahndammweg. She had head injuries that indicated blunt force trauma. An emergency doctor from the Vienna Emergency Services could only confirm the woman’s death.
Many questions remain unanswered
The exact time of death is unknown. Relatives and neighbors are currently being questioned as to when the 91-year-old was last seen alive. The dead woman was in her bed – whether she was surprised and killed in her sleep or was laid down in bed is currently as unclear as the question of when the crime took place. It is hoped that the forensic autopsy, which is due to take place on Wednesday, will provide information on this.
Signs of burglary on windows
It can be considered certain that one or more perpetrators forced their way into the allotment house. Several signs of a break-in were found on the windows at the crime scene. Whether the 91-year-old disturbed the intruder or several intruders or stood in their way is the subject of the investigations launched by the Vienna State Criminal Police Office, which the police say are “going in all directions”. It also needs to be clarified whether valuables are missing. According to her relatives, the 91-year-old did not own any valuables, but did keep valuables in the house.
Already 19 femicides this year
According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, 72 suspected cases of murder were reported last year. Of these, 42 involved women. If one takes into account the cases subsequently dropped or amended by the public prosecutor’s offices – for example, to include bodily harm resulting in death – as well as the reference to violence in private life, 27 femicides were registered last year. According to this list, 19 femicides occurred in Austria in the period from January 1 to September 4, 2023. This year, there were twelve in the same period, although the case in Floridsdorf has not yet been taken into account.
This article was last updated at 18:16.
