Eddy on “warning notes” – rape in Linz: detention for 3 suspects

The four young people are said to have attacked the 16-year-old German at Linz central station on Wednesday evening. Agents of the Aliens Police noticed and intervened. The perpetrators fled. Moments later, three boys were arrested. All three are innocent, but already known to the police – because of “minor crimes”, it said. The detention was initially imposed on Friday evening for 14 days.

A fourth suspect, a 15-year-old Afghan, turned himself in to the Vöcklabruck police station on Friday, but initially claimed he had “done nothing”. He was also arrested on Saturday. Two further stated that there had been sexual contacts with the girl “on the basis of mutual consent”, the third remained silent, spokeswoman Ulrike Breiteneder reported on Saturday.

Suspect ‘clearly accused’
However, the victim had “clearly charged all four of those arrested with rape,” Breiteneder said. One is “far from the attempt”, but it involves “repeated, completed acts of various perpetrators,” she clarified. The 16-year-old had been hospitalized and her memory was broken when she was questioned. Traces are currently being investigated, the evaluation will take some time. It is still unclear how the crime originated or whether the perpetrators knew the victim.

Up to seven and a half years in prison
The sentence for rape for young people is up to five years if the act leads to serious physical injury – for example in the form of post-traumatic stress disorder – up to seven and a half years. For adults, the penalty is twice as high.

Investigating Confused “Warnings”
Meanwhile, false warnings appeared at Linz train station on Friday, the police announced on Saturday. Women were warned not to enter the station area alone because “their safety” could no longer be “guaranteed”. Women were advised not to dress flashy, to wear a hat and to keep one meter away. The notes were removed by the security service and did not come from the ÖBB or the police, the report said. There are videos of the ÖBB that are now being evaluated, the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counter-Terrorism (LVT) is investigating suspicion of hate speech, the police said.

According to crime statistics, 142 rapes were reported in Upper Austria in 2020, of which 88 percent were solved. Police say the majority of rapes are committed in private, but Afghans are often involved in attacks in public spaces, which are relatively rare in absolute numbers. Overall, the number of crimes committed by Afghans should decrease slightly, but this relatively small group still ranks very high in crime statistics. The crimes are mainly violent offenses and drug-related offences.