Gang Rape – Gantner Calls for Full Force of the Law

After the incident in a refugee camp in Bludenz, in which a woman was allegedly sexually abused by five Afghans, State Security Council Christian Gantner has now spoken out. “I have always emphasized that there is zero tolerance for criminal asylum seekers. All those who have committed serious crimes must take into account the full rigor of the law and, if necessary, be deported,” he explains.

The incident, which had already occurred in February, only became known on Wednesday through a report from the online platform “exxpress”. Police had not yet issued a press release about the events at the time – and are now facing charges that they deliberately covered up the alleged gang rape by the five Afghans.

An executive branch spokesperson defended the proceedings. The facts were so confusing that no charges were filed at the time. The PR staff also had no knowledge of the crime.

Difficult investigations
Gantner confirms this: “The studies were very difficult for several reasons and therefore took some time. Good work has been done here – there is no question of an attempted cover-up.” The fact that the suspects are now in custody is due to good investigative work. He is confident that the judiciary will now do its job and reach a verdict.

Don’t forget to protect victims
Especially in the case of sexual abuse, the protection of victims must be the top priority, says Ulrike Furtenbach, head of the ifs agency for violence protection. “Reading about the abuse in the newspaper again is a huge extra burden for the victim,” she explains. Therefore, a very restrictive and careful handling of such cases by the executive is completely justified.