Comments on social media are angering the grieving family of Roland Drexler’s second murder victim. Particularly bad are insensitive posters showing sympathy for the murderous hunter. Yet there is also sympathy for the relatives of the perpetrator. Now a daughter of murder victim Josef Hartl has her say.
The cold-blooded double murder of two opponents of hunter Roland Drexler shocked the whole of Austria. But how are the grieving relatives doing now? “Since October 28, 2024, my world and that of my family has been turned upside down. A thousand thoughts and feelings are trapped in it, it is difficult, if not impossible, to sort them out. I don’t even want to talk about the pain,” writes Susanna H., a daughter of Josef Hartl (64), the second victim of the double murderer Altenfelden, to the “Krone”.
Reactions on social media about our report on the funeral of perpetrator Roland Drexler (56) irritated her enormously: “I thought for a long time whether it was wise to write these lines. You’re actually trying to protect yourself from so many negative and hurtful words. The pain was accompanied by sadness, anger, emptiness, suffering and, in some comments, bewilderment and fear.”
“We are all just guests on earth”
Susanna H. continues: “One of the most important things I learned from my father was: we are all just guests on earth. Appreciate every person, living things and nature. Be grateful for this wealth and always treat it with respect and reverence. My father taught this not only to me, but to my siblings, his grandchildren, the neighborhood kids, young hunters and many more. Working together instead of against each other, staying together and not letting people down. Be there for each other. Be brave when necessary and take action for others when they do not have the strength.”
“Dad was very good at that.”
The daughter also writes: “’Let’s sit down and talk it out,’ my father said. And he was good at it, very good at it. Talk about things, make excuses, no matter how unpleasant, annoying or hopeless they are. I don’t want to badmouth anyone in this sense. My condolences go out to the family of the first victim and the family of the perpetrator. The fact is, and this cannot be glossed over or downplayed, that the perpetrator has been doing things for years that are simply forbidden. And is anyone now wondering whether the murder of those who reported it after a number of failed conversations is justified?”
A comparison from the daughter: “Suppose someone has been driving time and again for years at 90 km/h through the neighborhood where the speed limit is 50, then no one asks whether he is allowed to do that.”
Films, books and podcasts about crime flourish under the genre title ‘Crime’. Perhaps because for most of us, thankfully, bloody acts have nothing to do with our own reality, which is precisely why suspense and horror are seen as a stimulating distraction from everyday life.
In real life, in reality, it is completely different. The murder of a loved one turns everything upside down. And it often takes a very long time for the open emotional wounds to become scars. This is usually forgotten when, for example, the Bavarian cozy sound comes from the television in the evening: “It’s great!”
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.
