Prison Sentence After Belt Attack in Lower Austria

A 35-year-old man, who is alleged to have severely assaulted a 16-year-old with a belt in Horn in June, was sentenced to eight years in prison in Krems on Tuesday. In addition, it was decided to place him in a forensic-therapeutic facility. According to court information, the verdicts are now legally binding.

Belt Attack in Lower Austria: 35-Year-Old Found Mentally Competent

During the altercation on June 21 in Horn, the 35-year-old is believed to have wrapped his belt around his right hand and struck three victims from the Horn district. A 16-year-old was critically injured in the head by the belt buckle. The teenager was flown by emergency helicopter to the University Hospital St. Pölten. After an emergency operation, he was out of danger. A 53-year-old also suffered severe injuries. He, like another injured 16-year-old, was transported to Horn Hospital.

In addition to the altercation, the 35-year-old was also charged with property damage on Tuesday. The Afghan is said to have forced open a door of his hostel in Horn with his shoulder on June 18. According to the public prosecutor's office, another incident occurred on July 8 in Krems in the prison cell of the correctional facility. The accused is believed to have resisted a search before a detention review hearing - by biting, kicking, and hitting several prison officers. He was therefore also charged with resisting state authority.

According to a psychiatric report, the 35-year-old is mentally competent. However, placement according to Section 21 Paragraph 2 of the Penal Code was requested and pronounced. The man is said to have acted under the significant influence of a combined personality disorder with narcissistic, antisocial, and emotionally unstable traits. Present is a "profound and persistent pathological distortion of the basic modalities of perception, conception, action planning, and self-control".

"The 'belt-beater' should go back to his homeland and not burden taxpayers," demanded Lower Austria's Deputy Governor Udo Landbauer (FPÖ) after the trial. "The costs for a 'measure-prisoner' are many times higher than for a regular inmate." That the asylum seeker will now cost taxpayers "several hundred thousand euros a year" is incomprehensible to anyone.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.