It is not a pleasant picture that emerges from the trial of the former director of his former company’s Gloggnitz cheese factory. The 39-year-old is charged with five counts of murder by gross negligence and several counts of gross negligence (serious) bodily harm. Listeria is said to have grown in the “Kajmak”. Why was he allowed to continue producing for so long despite the flaws?
He kept driving to the cheese factory in Gloggnitz (Lower Austria) and couldn’t get in. Because no one opened and there were ‘strange’ opening hours. In court, the food inspector testified as a witness about his impressions of the small business he had inspected since 2017. “In terms of hygiene, the cheese factory did not really stand out; there were structural problems,” says the man.
Mother talks about premature birth after infection with Listeria
When judge Birgit Borns of the Wiener Neustadt court confronts him with facts from the file, the inspector’s face becomes paler from sentence to sentence. The windows open and a legal intern brings a glass of water. The witness is clearly not feeling well when he talks about the events in the cheese factory he inspected in Lower Austria. Which isn’t that surprising.
Listeria is said to have grown in the soft cheese “Kajmak” produced there. The dangerous germ caused five deaths in Vienna between 2020 and 2022, and sickened six other people – including a baby who suffered from listeriosis when he was born in 2022. The girl was born seven weeks prematurely and survived life-threatening sepsis. Her 33-year-old mother was also heard as a witness on Thursday.
Listeria already in the drain in 2018
“It was a complicated operation. Really complicated,” the food inspector finally admits. “After Corona, I noticed that the company was experiencing financial problems. That self-control was neglected and things got worse. Towards the end the flaws became more serious.” But in 2018 and 2020, listeria was already found in the drain. “The listeria in the drain – and it’s like a genetic fingerprint – is identical to the listeria found in people,” says Ms Rat. Nevertheless, work continued until the end of 2022 – after a Kajmak showed massive contamination for the first time following a storage test.
The statements of the previous witnesses provide a chilling insight into the conditions in the cheese factory: There is talk of vermin, rats, black mold and a musty smell. There was no hygiene training for the employees. One of the vans was insulated instead of cooled, and in another the cooling did not work.
Postponed again to January 9
The accused former cheese chef (39), originally from Serbia, considers himself innocent. In the case of the sick mother, the restaurant allegedly served the kajmak well past its expiration date. His umpteenth lawyer has terminated the power of attorney. That’s why he smartly tells the judge: “I’m asking the court to sentence me to the maximum sentence so we can stop this.” There is a risk of up to three years in prison. But it won’t happen that quickly: postponed until January 9 for two more witnesses.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
