Hate on the internet – ÖVP also demands its own special prosecutor

A separate public prosecutor’s office, which brings together renowned experts in the field of ICT law and social media, creates trust and legal certainty, Sachslehner said in a written statement. Therefore, from the point of view of the People’s Party, a corresponding prosecution authority is needed for threats, hate speech and harassment on the Internet. “Just speaking anointing words is not enough. Justice Minister Alma Zadic is called upon to finally act. In my opinion, there should be a commitment to a separate prosecution to prosecute hate online,” explains Sachslehner.

Sachslehner: Data subjects should be able to contact the authorities and the judiciary
This important topic should not be neglected. “Minister Zadic must act quickly and make the judiciary future-proof. Those affected should know that they can contact the authorities and the judiciary at any time,” the secretary-general of the ÖVP told the Green coalition partner.

Zadic wants pool of specially trained prosecutors
On Saturday, however, Zadic had announced more resources for the police and the existing prosecutor’s offices instead of his own special prosecutor. “Of course I understand the current call for a special prosecutor,” Zadic said in a written statement. However, she pointed out that even before the shocking case of the Upper Austrian doctor, the judiciary had set up cybercrime competence centers at the public prosecutor’s offices in Vienna and Graz. The aim is to build a pool of specially trained prosecutors who serve as a point of contact for all prosecutors and also pass on their accumulated expertise in internal training.

“Every prosecutor in Austria has to deal with cases of online hate and cybercrime, therefore it is necessary to build the relevant skills across the board. I would therefore like to quickly expand this project as all resources in this area are needed so that the judiciary can help people quickly and effectively to get their rights,” emphasized the justice minister.

For Zadic, the fundamental problem in the online pursuit of hate is currently finding the perpetrators. “This investigation often takes too long, which is of course extremely taxing for those involved. Together with the Minister of the Interior, I will ensure that every police station and prosecutor’s office has the necessary resources and tools to ensure that those affected are taken seriously and perpetrators are held accountable,” said the Minister of Justice.

NEOS and FPÖ support Zadic .’s idea
Zadic also received support from NEOS on Sunday. Justice spokesman Johannes Margreiter said it would make more sense to strengthen the economic and corruption prosecutor’s office instead of establishing a new prosecutor’s office. Margreiter said in a written statement on Sunday that their responsibility should be extended to the “hate of the web” crimes. Upgrading the WKStA and building on existing structures rather than putting resources into a new one would be “more effective and faster,” according to Margreiter. bring prosecutors on Saturday instead of discussing a new prosecution.

Social media expert Ingrid Brodnig, on the other hand, argued for a separate prosecution against hate on the internet. And lawyer and media law expert Maria Windhager also applauds this proposal. Demands were recently made for the establishment of such a prosecution authority after threats were made against Upper Austrian physician Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, who committed suicide.