Prison Sentence After Fire in Graz Star Bar

In the Graz Regional Criminal Court, the operator of the Graz Stern-Bar was sentenced on Thursday to 18 months in prison, six of which are unconditional, for negligently causing a fire. During a fire in the establishment on New Year's Eve 2023/24, a student died, and ten people were partially seriously injured. The defendant had not felt guilty.

On New Year's Eve, the fire started around 3:00 a.m. Flammable material was allegedly stored in the entrance area, an emergency exit through a window was blocked, and the staff was allegedly not adequately trained for fire incidents, the prosecution accused the bar operator.

Emergency Exits as a Topic

The defendant had not seen any guilt in himself so far. In his opinion, he had fulfilled all the requirements. The claim that there was no proper emergency exit besides the main exit was not true. After the victims had vividly described in previous hearings how they desperately searched for an escape route, the emergency exits were now the main topic.

A witness from the building authority, who had inspected the premises in 2020, was called. She stated that the entrance, the exit through a window, and the path through the kitchen to the courtyard were intended as emergency exits. However, when the devastating fire occurred, the window was blocked by a table, and the windowsill was cluttered with decorative material. During the inspection, this was apparently different: "The window was clear, there was definitely no table in front of it," the witness stated.

She further recalled that the defendant wanted to remove the escape route through the window at that time, which was prohibited "because the escape route situation would have been completely different," the official explained. Moreover, an escape route through a kitchen is usually not permissible, "because a kitchen can pose an additional hazard." Various cushions and other items were stored next to the main exit, which according to the witness, is also not allowed.

After the inspection in 2020, nothing more happened, even though several deficiencies had been identified. "Why was the file closed as completed?" asked the defense attorney. "Because it was a historical file," was the answer. - "Without further review?" - "Yes".

Fire Expert Spoke

In the afternoon, the fire expert spoke. He explained that the escape route through the kitchen was not permissible due to the sliding door to the dining area. "For escape routes, a door must be able to swing open in the direction of escape," said the expert. In his opinion, this is why the exit through the window was made - which, however, was obstructed and not marked during the fire.

Next to the main entrance - which was also designated as an emergency exit - there was a storage room where cushions, blankets, kitchen rolls, toilet paper, and similar items were stored. "The material should never have been stored there," the expert clarified.

The defendant was sentenced to 18 months in prison, six of which are unconditional. The verdict is not legally binding. The case continues to occupy the court: A second trial is currently underway to determine to what extent the authorities are also responsible for the devastating consequences of this fire.

(APA/Red)

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