Brutal Attack on 86-Year-Old in Vienna: Three Perpetrators Convicted

A jury sentenced the youngest - the 29-year-old who confessed - to three and a half years in prison, while the other two, aged 38 and 45, each received four years. They had denied the charges.

On October 31, 2024, the 86-year-old had initially withdrawn 4,000 euros from a bank. He then took the U4 from Meidlinger Hauptstraße to Naschmarkt and went shopping there. At a bakery, the 29-year-old coincidentally observed him. "I wanted to buy a cake. That's when I saw the old man. That's when I saw the money," the youngest defendant described. He also secretly photographed the elderly man and the bundles of money with his phone - he likely forwarded the images to his accomplices.

Videos from Surveillance Cameras in Vienna as Crucial Evidence

What subsequently happened was documented on videos from the surveillance cameras of the Wiener Linien, which were played in the courtroom. The three defendants initially used the same elevator and then the same subway as the 86-year-old at the U4 station Kettenbrückengasse. When he got off at the Meidlinger Hauptstraße station, they did the same and intercepted him at the exit - the mobility-impaired man needed some time to leave the station.

From there, according to the indictment, the two younger men followed him to his residential building. As the 86-year-old was about to unlock the front door, one of the two grabbed him from behind and held him. The victim resisted as the perpetrators opened his shoulder bag to get to the wallet with the banknotes. He was then pushed to the ground, resulting in bruises on his elbow and fingers. The perpetrators initially managed to escape with their loot.

During the criminal investigations, all three suspects were eventually identified. Besides the video material, it was particularly helpful that all three had worked as newspaper vendors, mainly in subway areas. This facilitated the police's search efforts, as they were able to link the suspects sought in connection with the robbery to the three men who had been regularly captured on surveillance cameras.

Victim Has Since Passed Away

After the arrest, the 86-year-old clearly recognized the 29-year-old. The 38-year-old was convicted as the second direct perpetrator, while it could not be proven that the 45-year-old had followed the victim home. He was therefore found guilty of planning and lookout duties. The non-confessing Romanians did not accept their sentences and filed appeals or requested time to consider.

The 86-year-old was no longer available as a witness in the main trial. He has since passed away. A connection between the robbery and his death was not evident. In the judgment's reasoning, the presiding judge had little positive to say about the defendants. Although they had no prior convictions, "this is the most despicable thing one can do. To attack a mobility-impaired old man and take everything he has."

(APA/Red)

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