The public prosecutor accuses the accused of abusing a relationship of authority as a supervisor and psychotherapist. The sexual assault on a youth is said to have lasted from 2009 to 2017 – more on that in Trial once morest youth home manager started (noe.ORF.at, 30.09.2022).
The former CEO pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday. The man questioned the credibility of the alleged teenage victim, who had a personality disorder and was difficult to care for. The process was therefore adjourned in order to question the expert. She had very well described the teenager as credible. The process is expected to continue in November or December.
Defendant denied allegations
Although the young person only spent almost 90 days in the residential facility, according to the indictment, there were repeated contact and meetings with the former director for several years. The defendant said the therapeutic communities offered all clients follow-up care. It was not he who sought contact, but the teenager who kept standing in front of the door and who was helped with problems. He also visited him at home two or three times due to numerous invitations.
“He was a psychiatrically impaired patient. Our goal was that he didn’t go completely down the drain,” said the 55-year-old. He himself was a manager, not a supervisor or therapist. In a conversation that the youth secretly recorded, he confronted him with allegations of sexual abuse. He had the impression that the teenager was “closed” and afraid, according to the defendant.
“I was only concerned with de-escalation,” emphasized the 55-year-old. Therefore, he did not immediately reject the allegations. He also stands by the fact that he said at the time that he loved the young person: “I loved every single child, you can’t do any work in the social field without this fundamental love,” said the former managing director.
“Credible” descriptions of the youth
A family intensive care worker, to whom the young person had told regarding a sexual act, said in court: “In my view, the professional standards in this relationship have not been complied with.” He considered the stories to be credible and reported his observations to the youth welfare office, it said Process.
The facilities of the therapeutic communities in Lower Austria were closed in 2018 due to the alleged abuses. The operating company then slid into insolvency. The former managing director went into private bankruptcy.