An accused smuggler (21) made a confession during the trial before the Salzburg Regional Court: Due to a lack of money, he wanted to smuggle 53 Turks through Austria. The police arrested him and he will now spend two years behind bars.
The defendant was allowed to briefly hold his four-month-old baby in the presence of a guard and give his girlfriend a last kiss before the judge called for the trial to begin at the regional court on Wednesday.
Public prosecutor Francesco Obermayr then spoke about the crime of smuggling: “Due to his financial situation, he joined a criminal organization in October and was tasked with picking up 53 Turks from Budapest.” The refugees, including eight children and even a baby, were crammed into a very small space in the van: “Without water or food,” the prosecutor emphasized. Police officers wanted to check the vehicle near the Salzburg Schwarzenberg barracks. But the 21-year-old accelerated and even rammed a patrol car. This also resulted in injuries.
Overwhelmed by fatherhood
The lawyer spoke of a “big mistake”: “He was overwhelmed by his role as a family man.” After the confession, the previously blameless German defendant said: “I’m sorry, I regret it. I thought I was doing something good. In the end I made people suffer.”
The court did not legally impose a two-year unconditional prison sentence: “This is necessary as a deterrent,” the judge emphasized the “great social disvalue” and the “inhumane” transport conditions.
Source: Krone
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