It was one of the most sensationally violent crimes of the 1980s in Vienna: In February 1983, a then 18-year-old shot his cousin at a construction site not far from the Reichsbrücke and cut off the dead man’s head to make it more difficult to identify him. A few days later, the high school graduate shot his 18-year-old ex-girlfriend and her 43-year-old mother with the same gun. The triple killer has been at large since the fall of 2022.
The now 58-year-old was paroled from prison on October 10, 2022. The Krems Regional Court, as the competent enforcement court, has made the corresponding decision, as court spokesman Ferdinand Schuster confirmed on Friday. The 58-year-old was last incarcerated at Stein Prison before being transferred to the Graz-Karlau correctional facility to prepare for his release.
The perpetrator was admitted to an institution
In March 1984, the Vienna Regional Criminal Court had sentenced him to 20 years in prison for triple murder – life imprisonment was excluded because he was under 21 years old. In addition, however, the man was committed to an institution for mentally abnormal offenders – according to a psychiatric report, he was healthy, but had a marked personality disorder and a higher degree of mental abnormality, which made him extremely dangerous.
Psychiatric reports prevented his release because the experts agreed that the man’s danger had not been averted, regardless of the therapies that accompanied his detention.
Released after more than 39 years
In the previous year, however, the planned regular specialist medical checkup showed an improvement, which was mainly attributed to years of taking medication against his schizoid personality traits. In an expert report, the man was given emotional and cognitive stabilization and after more than 39 years in prison, he was released – albeit under close supervision.
All round care for triple killers
Justice linked the conditional release to a number of instructions to ensure that the 58-year-old no longer posed a threat to his environment. At an address in Vienna, accommodation was organized in an institution specializing in mentally disturbed prisoners released from prison. The 58-year-old promised to remain registered there. “A housing agreement has been concluded, whereby all-round care is guaranteed. In addition, a number of instructions must be followed,” says Christina Salzborn, spokeswoman for the Vienna Regional Criminal Court, which is responsible for the control.
The 58-year-old pledged to continue his medication and psychotherapeutic and psychiatric treatment and to abstain from alcohol and drugs. He is also cared for by a probation officer.
The judiciary has thus taken security measures that would have been difficult to implement after the reform of the enforcement of measures originally devised by Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens). This draft stipulated that, on the basis of Article 21, second paragraph, of the Penal Code, persons imprisoned during the implementation of measures who were still adolescents or young adults at the time of the so-called initial act, must be released on the basis of Article 21, second paragraph, of the Criminal Code. be made . The 58-year-old would have fallen under that group.
“Case conference” after ten years
However, a few weeks ago, the Justice Department said that “case conferences” should be held for juveniles or young adults who have been in prison for a long time beyond 10 years at the latest. This should clarify what individual requirements are necessary in order to consider and, if necessary, carry out a conditional release in these special individual cases. After the first such case conference, these should be repeated every three years.
Source: Krone
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