Nobody expected that: the four suspects in the case of the gang rape of a 16-year-old schoolgirl in Linz have been released. That is the surprising result of today’s detention investigation at the Linz Regional Court.
The continuation of the detention seemed certain. But after the detention hearing, the four suspects – three 15-year-old Afghans and a 14-year-old from Iran – were allowed to go home. The court did not disclose the reasons that led to this surprising decision.
The public prosecutor has not issued a statement about the release, but can also appeal. “The investigation into the four young men will of course continue,” said the spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, Ulrike Breiteneder.
Victim probably not taken to crime scene
The police have now evaluated the recordings of several surveillance cameras at the central station, which, according to the spokeswoman for the prosecutor’s office, only show parts of the event and this without sound. For example, the later victim arrived at the central station by tram in the late afternoon of March 30. The 16-year-old glanced at her cell phone and then walked towards a group of boys, which also included one of the alleged perpetrators.
Then they walked apart from the photo. There are no signs of violence in the images. The later victim should therefore not have been forcibly abducted from the train station to the crime scene in the former postal distribution center. There are also no witnesses who have observed such a scene. As the Hauptbahnhof area is a busy place, it seems unlikely that no one would have noticed.
contact with suspect
The investigation also revealed that a few days before the crime, the student had contact with one of the later suspects through a social network. However, this app immediately removes the communication, so nothing more can be said about the content, according to the public prosecutor. The interrogation of the victim, which is scheduled to take the form of a hostile interrogation, will take place after Easter.
The four suspects have not known. Two claim the sexual acts were consensual. The third only wants to look, the fourth is silent.
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.
