14-Year-Old Remains in Custody After Foiled Attack at Vienna Westbahnhof
The 14-year-old did not comment on the allegations during the custody review. Following the foiled attack at Vienna's Westbahnhof, investigations continue on suspicion of terrorist association and criminal organization. Since his arrest, the 14-year-old has exercised his right to remain silent. His defense attorney agreed to another four-week pre-trial detention, and the court's decision is final.
After foiled attack at Vienna's Westbahnhof: Social network conference to establish "future plan" for 14-year-old
For the teenager - who will turn 15 in mid-May - probation assistance has already been ordered by the court. He has also been assigned a staff member from the Neustart association who is looking after him in custody. Furthermore, a so-called social network conference involving youth court assistance and the custodians has been initiated to create a "future plan" for the student, as announced by the court. The 14-year-old is housed in the youth department of the Josefstadt correctional facility. He is generally allowed to receive visits from relatives, although scheduling is not entirely straightforward. Meanwhile, defense attorney Mair has already established contact with a deradicalization center to steer the boy away from IS ideology. "With the approval of the public prosecutor's office, the Extremism Counseling Center set up at bOJA (Federal Network for Open Youth Work, note) will take over a care relationship. The first appointment is tomorrow," Mair reported in an interview with APA.
Drawings of the U6 station at Vienna's Westbahnhof found with 14-year-old
Investigators from the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism (LSE) and WEGA forces arrested the teenager at his residence in Vienna-Währing on February 10. The 14-year-old lived with his parents and wanted to start an apprenticeship in the coming fall. Both parents - who have Turkish roots - are said to have a liberal social attitude and do not practice a strict interpretation of Islam. During a court-approved house search, several knives and propaganda material were found in the apartment and basement compartment, allegedly proving the 14-year-old's IS affiliation. Seized were also drawings of the U6 station at Westbahnhof, apparently made by the suspect. They are said to depict trains, tracks, and stick figures, with one of the figures stabbing others with a knife or machete. These are labeled with the word "Kuffar" ("infidels"), a term used in Islam for people who belong to other religions or do not adhere to Islam. Defense attorney Anna Mair considers these to be "fantasies" of her young client. A concrete implementation was "far off," she recently explained to APA. Investigators, on the other hand, say the drawings are strikingly structured. Additionally, the 14-year-old possessed relevant Islamist literature and a list of components needed to build a bomb. In the basement compartment, aluminum pipes and loose table legs were found.
Tip from Germany led to the trail of the 14-year-old
According to APA information, the 14-year-old was identified following a tip from the German Federal Criminal Police Office. German investigators had discovered a concerning TikTok profile with radical Islamist content. This profile was linked to the 14-year-old. Subsequently, the Directorate for State Protection and Intelligence Service (DSN) was informed, which continued to investigate the suspect and was able to track him down. The DSN's incident report states that the 14-year-old began to radicalize via TikTok in August 2024. At the time of his arrest, it was not known whether he had visited mosques or had contact with other IS supporters. The evaluations of the student's phone and other seized data carriers are now eagerly awaited. Investigators hope these results will provide an answer to the central question of how concrete or advanced the student's terrorist attack plans were, as he is said to outwardly appear almost childlike.
(APA/Red)
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