At the end of November, flames flared up in a Viennese residential home for the mentally ill – a 68-year-old died on the spot due to smoke poisoning. The arsonist (23), who now faces six murder charges, speaks of voices telling him to set the fire on fire. Is it all just an act?
“Imagine that you are an informal caregiver in a nursing home. In the middle of the night the fire alarm suddenly goes off and you assume it is a rehearsal. A resident of the facility stands in front of you and screams, “It’s on fire!”, the prosecutor vividly describes to the jury. “What sounds like a bad nightmare to you has now become reality with a Viennese caregiver and many residents.”
“All help comes too late for one resident”
On the night of November 26 to 27, 2023, there was a devastating fire in a dormitory of the LOK – Life without Hospital – association in the 23rd arrondissement. With enormous smoke and soot development, according to an expert. “Any help comes too late for a resident,” says the prosecutor, describing the sad fate of a 68-year-old. She died of smoke inhalation.
One count of murder, five counts of attempted murder
According to the Public Prosecution Service, someone is responsible for the death: a 23-year-old former resident of the institution for the mentally ill who set fire to a jacket in the building on the night of the fire. In the grand jury room of the Vienna Regional Court, he now faces an extensive murder charge – once completed it remained an attempt in five cases…
Why? The young Viennese speaks of voices ordering him to be set on fire. He has suffered from several illnesses since childhood: epilepsy, autism and later combined personality disorder. “His life was not easy from the beginning. He has been receiving medical or therapeutic treatment since birth.” In addition, there was alcohol and drugs in his youth and finally he heard voices.
Just played Insanity?
To observers, everything seems to point to madness. This is what expert psychiatrist Peter Hofmann states in his report. Despite his personality disorder, the 23-year-old is said to have known exactly what he was doing when he set fire to the jacket in the dormitory. He is very healthy, the voices are purely a protective claim. He also maintains this version before judge Stefan Apostol.
So the prosecutor is still left with the question why: “If it wasn’t the votes, then you’re probably right to ask yourself: what is the motive,” she addresses the jury. “I don’t have a satisfactory answer. answer that now. Answer.” Witnesses and the psychiatric expert must clarify this during the course of the trial. If convicted, the 23-year-old could face life in prison and placement in a forensic therapeutic center.
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.
