Raped, killed and dumped on a tree: the sad fate of 13-year-old Leonie. The first accused was found guilty of murder and rape. The second accused of murder by omission and also rape. The third defendant is also convicted by the jury of murder by omission and rape. Not legally binding.
The sometimes highly emotional process surrounding the death of a 13-year-old took seven days. On the evening of December 2nd, a verdict was handed down. The charges included rape resulting in death and sexual abuse of minors. As a contingency, the jury had to rule on murder, murder by omission and rape. In particular, the victims’ representatives from the family, Johannes Öhlböck and Florian Höllwarth, demanded a murder charge from the start. The first accused (24) was convicted of murder – he had at least one conditional intent. The other two Afghans for murder by omission. All three are also guilty of raping the 13-year-old. For this, the 24-year-old accused of life imprisonment. For the 19-year-old second accused, the conviction means 20 years in prison. That was the highest possible sentence. The third accused (20) is sentenced to 19 years in prison. The verdicts are not final! The terrible fate of Leonie On the evening of June 25, 2021, the girl went with the third accused to the apartment of the second accused. We wanted to celebrate a little more. There was also the 22-year-old first accused. During the evening, they mixed the 13-year-old at least six ecstatsy tablets – more precisely MDA – into the drink. As the drugs took effect, the three Afghans raped Leonie in a row. The three times lethal dose of ecstatsy, according to experts, was ultimately fatal for the girl. The jury in the courtroom could see the death throes. The defendants documented him via video. Nevertheless, they stated that they had consensual sexual intercourse with Leonie. After that they slept. None of the defendants want to know when the girl reached the dazed and ultimately fatal state. They wouldn’t have given her the drugs either – they don’t know how that would have happened. Only when the Afghans woke up again did they realize that the 13-year-old was in poor health. The jury did not believe the three accused men had this responsibility. After hours of deliberation, they found the Afghans guilty of murder, murder by omission and rape. The parents are also awarded 30,000 euros each, and the siblings 20,000 euros each. The judge justified two maximum penalties: “This is not a political statement or a symbolism. We acted according to the law, appropriate to the crime and to blame. This is the most serious crime known to criminal law.” To make matters worse, the first and second accused have previous convictions, the coincidence of two crimes and the fact that they quickly became criminals again. That means years of imprisonment for both of them – the highest possible. The third Afghan has not been blamed so far, which is why he “only” got 19 years. “In our view, the way the crime was carried out justifies these penalties. They used the girl like an object and showed indifference to Leonie’s life,” the judge at the Vienna Regional Court closed the process. Second defendant (19) accepts maximum verdictIn each corner of the courtroom, one of the defendants is allowed to consult with his defense attorney. The public prosecutor’s office has not released any explanation for the time being. Wolfgang Haas and his first accused client – he gets a life sentence – take three days to think it over. Attorney Thomas Nirk and the second defendant accepted the verdict. The third accused, meanwhile, is filing an appeal with his defense attorney Andreas Schweitzer! This means that none of the judgments are final. Lawyer Thomas Nirk about his 19-year-old client: “He accepts the judgment. I found this decision more than honorable.” His client was the only one to file a waiver of appeal. In contrast to the third defendant: “In my opinion, the punishment for someone who is irreproachable is high,” said his defense attorney Andreas Schweitzer when registering the criminal appeal not surprised. There was evidence of a murder conviction and the jury followed suit.” In all three cases. A conviction that you would have wished for from the start. But why? “Because it expresses the worthlessness of the deed much more strongly and because it is right,” said Johannes Öhlböck on behalf of the family.
source site-12