Following a tragic accident in Bad Gastein (Pongau) in January, in which an 81-year-old woman died after falling from the balcony of her second-floor apartment, two men from a metalworking shop have now appeared in court for negligent homicide. The verdict was announced today.
At the time, the homeowner’s locksmith was commissioned to renew the balcony and stair railings of the home. The company then began disassembling all the balcony railings on Jan. 23, two weeks before the agreed date, according to the complaint. For safety, the handles on the balcony doors have been removed. However, in the 81-year-old’s apartment and two other apartments, workers could not reach anyone, which meant that the handles of these balcony doors could not be unscrewed. In these three apartments, stickers were placed on the balcony doors from the outside stating that entering the balcony was prohibited until the work was completed.
However, no temporary railings were installed for safety. When the 81-year-old, who reportedly had poor hearing and vision, got home, she went onto the balcony and fell about six and a half meters into the depths. She was taken to hospital with serious injuries, where she died six days later.
Only notices, no railings
The Public Prosecution Service accused the accused executor that, knowing that the apartment was occupied, he did not provide the necessary fall protection, but simply put up a notice. The project manager allegedly did not instruct the employees on how to ensure fall protection. Both were therefore charged in court with manslaughter by negligence.
The foreman was found guilty today and sentenced to a fine of 100 daily rates of 28 euros, a total of 2,800 euros. The project manager was acquitted due to lack of evidence of guilt: he had already been on sick leave for a week at the time of the incident and was therefore not responsible. The judgment is not final because those involved have asked for time to think about it,
Source: Krone
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