Focus on Reumannplatz Vienna: On March 17, a 19-year-old Syrian allegedly tried to murder an elderly Viennese man. In court, he now blames a friend. The background to the bloody act is said to be the gang wars in Vienna-Favoriten. There is a risk of up to 20 years in prison.
At the end of March, a series of stabbings shook Vienna’s Reumannplatz. The first one on March 17 is now the subject of the grand jury room at the Vienna Regional Court. It is guarded by numerous police officers for the trial. The background to the stabbing attack is probably the gang war raging in Vienna-Favoriten – between Syrians, Afghans and Chechens.
‘Victim showed moral courage’
As for the attempted murder: The 21-year-old victim was eating ice cream with his partner on the night of the crime and later saw a group of men insulting and threatening a young woman. “The victim showed moral courage and intervened,” the prosecutor said. The now accused Syrian then chased the “Chechnya” – as he calls the victim – with a knife and inflicted multiple knife wounds on him. The most fatal injury: a 37-centimeter long cut in the thigh.
Suspect denies knife attack
Even when the 21-year-old fell to the ground, the 19-year-old did not let go and kicked and cut him. Probably thinking that the victim belonged to a hostile Chechen gang. The young man was born in Austria and has only Bosnian roots. Fortunately, his life was never in danger. For the prosecutor, however, it was the ‘inner side of the crime’ of the Syrian that counted and that was aimed at attempted murder.
The 19-year-old vehemently denied this to the jury. And what’s more: he was not the one who committed the stabbing. A friend picked up a knife and even told him about it after the crime. His lawyer Wolfgang Haas therefore demands acquittal of attempted murder.
Machete robbery before bloody crime
The knife attack on Reumannplatz is not the only offence the Syrian is accused of. Two days earlier, he is said to have committed a robbery with a machete. In addition, he is charged with dangerous threats and intentionally causing serious bodily harm. A verdict will probably not be announced on the first day of the trial. The 19-year-old faces a prison sentence of up to twenty years under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
At the same time, on March 17, a 28-year-old was stabbed by an unknown person on Favoritenstrasse. Also in March, a dispute on Reumannplatz escalated, with a 32-year-old man being stabbed deeply in the thigh. On May 24, a police officer was attacked by a Jordanian (41) on Keplerplatz. Only the stab protection vest the officer was wearing saved him from serious injuries. Since March 30, a weapons ban has been in effect in the area.
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.
