In the Burgenland district of Güssing, extremely dangerous scenes took place in January. Not far from the border, the driver of a van carrying several refugees rushed towards soldiers. He wanted to evade control. The 26-year-old Moldovan was on trial on Wednesday, as was his passenger.
One of the soldiers just managed to avoid the van by jumping to the side, the prosecutor emphasized. The 26-year-old then continued racing down an unpaved dirt road, lost control of the vehicle and ended up in a field. Judge Birgit Falb said he endangered the 14 refugees who were not wearing their seat belts, even though they were ultimately unharmed.
Caught in Hungary
The suspect was initially able to flee on foot, but was arrested in Hungary a few days later. He was charged with smuggling, resisting state authority, attempted serious bodily harm and endangering the community. The passenger, who was only accused of smuggling, was arrested immediately after the accident.
The 26-year-old Moldovan confessed that he gasped for fear of being caught. His 22-year-old passenger also pleaded guilty. Both defendants apologized in court and stated that they had towed because of financial problems.
The fact that both confessed completely in court surprised the judge given various versions she had told in previous hearings. “So that means I read pages and pages of transcripts before the trial, which are actually all wrong?” Falb asked. Yes, the suspect said, with the 26-year-old emphasizing, “In the beginning, there were completely different allegations.”
Attempted murder charge dropped
Initially, there was an investigation into attempted murder because it was believed that the fleeing Moldovan had fired shots at a soldier. According to the Public Prosecution Service, however, this could ultimately not be proven and the charges – as reported – were withdrawn. The 26-year-old was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, his passenger to two years in prison. The two accepted the not-yet-final statements. The prosecutor’s office made no statement.
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.
