Scenes from a family drama in Carinthia: a man allegedly abused his wife and children for years. He faces 15 years in prison!
A man and a woman walk hand in hand to the regional court in Klagenfurt on Monday morning, followed by two teenage boys – an entire family.
Attacking children is a crime
The photo is suddenly destroyed as the mother and children sit in front of room 129, the father inside the dock. Because he has to answer to a particularly reprehensible degree for the continued use of violence. According to the Criminal Code, this is a crime against his wife, but a crime against the children.
Statements bring tears to the eyes of the prosecutor
“Your tears come when you look at the statements of the victims,” said prosecutor Ines Küttler. For years, the suspect, a 46-year-old bricklayer, terrorized and bullied the family in Villach. “He hit me for no reason, with his fists, with his belt. It got worst with alcohol,” says Küttler. “If he drinks, he hits!” The family man shakes his head.
No, it wasn’t like that at all. It is true that he made mistakes. And also that he drinks. “I wasn’t there enough for the family,” he says. “And that things like that are said about me is a message to me that I need to improve my life.” But apart from a few “real blows” there would have been no punishment for the children; the woman was treated very temperamentally. “Unfortunately, we immediately start screaming, very loudly and a lot.”
Woman withdraws
‘Your wife fled to the women’s shelter. How do you explain that?” asks Judge Christian Liebhauser. “That was only because I was not at home, I had things to do abroad.” Time and again there were reports of violence in the family. The woman has repeatedly retracted all allegations.
The woman, who says she was beaten almost every day and had not been able to protect her children from her abusive husband, again holds the alleged perpetrator’s hand, remains silent and refuses to testify. The boys, innocently drawn into the drama, don’t say anything anymore; maybe they hope that the broken family will grow together and that daddy will become daddy again.
How are you from here?
The suspect is “continued use of violence”, a crime that has been aggravated in the fight against femicide and domestic violence: if the violence is used for more than a year, the penalty is five to 15 years in prison! Without statements from the alleged victims, it becomes difficult for the court to assess the evidence. It has been suspended for the time being.
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.
