After four months of standstill, the Turquoise-Green coalition has started hectic negotiations over stricter penalties for child abuse images – driven by the verdict against ex-Burg star Florian Teichtmeister. From the Greens’ perspective, the bill is ready, the ÖVP sees open questions. One part is particularly controversial.
The amendment to tighten sexual criminal law had already been in existence for four months. After the controversial verdict against actor Florian Teichtmeister, the Ministry of Justice has now come under pressure and hectic negotiations have started with State Secretary for Youth Claudia Plakolm.
The department of Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) has submitted a revised version of the bill to the ÖVP. In addition to heavier penalties, the reform also includes targeted prevention and a new legal concept. If you produce or provide a large number (30 or more photos/videos) of images of abuse, a maximum of five years in prison is possible in the future.
Controversial tightening
Because the stricter measures are currently planned, young people who send each other nude photos would also be criminalized. So there is still a need for improvement for Plakolm. The intention is to decide on the tightened measures in October, but the question is whether this deadline will hold.
The bill also provides for the extension of the activity bans for already convicted offenders. To ensure this, the previous requirement of the activity or the intention to perform the activity at the time of the crime should no longer apply.
Mandatory child protection concepts
In the future, all federal schools will also have to implement child protection concepts. A new quality mark for child protection should show parents where their children are sufficiently protected. In addition, the term ‘child pornography’ should be replaced; the original idea was ‘depiction of child abuse’. The following language sample is now proposed: “Visual sex-related child abuse material and explicit sex-related images of minors.”
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
