The prosecutor describes the modus operandi in the Vienna Regional Court as “an unprecedented series of robberies.” Two prostitutes and a 53-year-old mastermind drugged clients during home visits and then evacuated the apartments. This is how the Hungarians ended up in the apartment of the famous burglar Ernst Walter Stummer.
One elderly gentleman after another enters the courtroom of the Vienna Regional Court. Everyone reports the same thing on the witness stand: they called a call girl home through a platform – then the memory breaks. When they woke up, cash, valuables and even entire safes were gone. And with them the now accused 28 and 43 year olds.
“Unprecedented series of robberies”
The two prostitutes drugged and stole a total of ten victims throughout Austria in the autumn of 2023. “An unprecedented series of robberies,” the prosecutor summarizes. “The criminal organization was focused on contacting older, single men.”
Burglar King became a victim
One of them was the legendary Viennese burglar king Ernst Walter Stummer. “I have written to many women. I didn’t think she would actually come. I opened some champagne, poured it for us and then I don’t remember. The whole thing took maybe three minutes,” says the 85-year-old in the hallway before his statement – for a change as a witness and not as a defendant.
He spent about thirty years of his life in prison and then sued the Republic of Austria at the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to have his insurance months from his prison work count towards his pension periods. He has been avoiding conflicts with the law for ten years.
Mastermind just played taxi
Unlike a 53-year-old Hungarian – the mastermind of the robbery and also the ex-boyfriend of both women. He has nine previous convictions to his name. But he wants nothing to do with the current accusations: “I did not enter the houses. I only heard from the police that they were taking medication. I thought they were going to go in, have a drink and have a good time.” But the two women call him the mastermind.
If found guilty, the man and two women face up to 15 years in prison for aggravated robbery and criminal association. The child that the 28-year-old is expecting from her co-suspect will probably be born in prison. The verdict is long overdue.
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.
