Following the recent abuse scandal involving a 12-year-old girl in Vienna, Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (ÖVP) reiterated that we also need to talk about lowering the age of criminal responsibility. She doesn’t understand why some people are already criticizing the idea.
“Despite a certain level of knowledge, I do not allow myself to give a final judgment before I have involved all stakeholders. “I know from my previous work as a judge that sometimes you can’t do anything,” Edtstadler said. “A package of measures is needed.” Lowering the criminal age should also be considered.
“We look at different models and talk to those who deal with these types of cases, and those are the police officers.” The politician is bothered by the fact that “when we take steps, there is immediate rejection.”
“You can’t go back to normal again”
The politician spoke on the sidelines of a press conference in the federal capital about a “very shocking case”. The Minister of the Interior is therefore considering tightening juvenile criminal law. “After a crime like this, you can’t go back to business as usual, so we are working on suggestions on how to deal with such cases in the future.”
According to Edtstadler, people under the age of 14 repeatedly commit serious crimes. In some European countries the age of criminal responsibility is lower than the age in Austria. Ireland (13), Great Britain (13) and Switzerland (10 years) were listed.
Bundle of measures needed
But she emphasized that it’s not just about age: “Criminal responsibility is one thing.” But on the Internet, for example, there are ‘freely accessible violent videos without warnings’. So what is needed is a “holistic approach and consideration of how we can counter this, create more transparency and involve parents”. We are in contact with a group of experts and will also provide information if there are meetings or results.
Kickl expresses his incomprehension
That the seventeen suspects are at large, even the members of this “multicultural gang” who are older than fourteen, “nobody understands”, chairman Herbert Kickl of the federal FPÖ party said on Tuesday. This would lead the criminal justice system to absurdity. The victim now has to expect to meet her alleged tormentors at any time and the family even fears their revenge. He also reiterated his call to reduce criminal and criminal liability to less than 14 years.
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.
