A former mayor of Upper Austria who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for, among other things, rape suffered a legal defeat in his trial: the Supreme Court (OGH) dismissed his action for annulment. Now the Higher Regional Court of Linz has yet to hear the appeals of the accused and the public prosecutor.
Former ÖVP politician Jürgen Höckner is alleged to have sexually harassed an employee twice between 2014 and 2016, raped her three times and – when she finally broke her silence – slandered her. After the employee made allegations against him, he filed a complaint of defamation and an injunction. The resulting investigation eventually brought him to trial himself.
The prosecution was based, among other things, on a handkerchief with DNA traces of both handed over by the alleged victim. The defendant vehemently denied all the charges in the trial and uncovered an intrigue.
Höckner resigned from his seat in the state parliament in the course of the proceedings, but initially remained in office as mayor and was even re-elected a few days before his verdict. He then resigned as mayor.
Source: Krone
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