Court judgment: shocking acquittals in sexual abuse cases

Court judgment: shocking acquittals in sexual abuse cases

Wien-Favoriten, Österreich - In a shocking turn, two court cases ended that shake society: an acquittal for a 16-year-old in the event of a suspected rape and the judgment against the parents of a deceased girl based on negligent killing. In the first case, a court in Vienna favorites decided that the negotiation against the young person, who is supposed to pass on a 12-year-old, could not be sufficiently demonstrated that violence was involved. The youth judge justified her acquittal with the fact that the victim's statements were not sufficient to meet the strict requirements for a conviction. This leads to an outcry in public, especially with the victim's mother, which broke out in tears in the courtroom and explained that it was a "slap in the face for my child and all other victims" (). ) In the second case, the Schweinfurt district court condemned the parents of a 16-year-old girl who died of severe malnutrition for negligent killing. But the court refrained from punishment because, in the Chamber's opinion, the parents were already sufficiently punished by the loss of their child. The strongly underweight girl, who weighed only 19 kilograms during her death, had died of multiple organ failure. The parents had failed to provide necessary medical help even though their daughter was sick. Despite the serious allegations of any danger and attempted manslaughter, the judgment was declared not legally binding, since the accused appealed to their responsibility and did not appeal ( Welt.de ).

Both cases throw a bright light on the challenges of dealing with victims of sexual violence and the allegations against parents who have failed in severe felling to provide the necessary help. The social reactions are strongly characterized by empathy for the young people concerned and their families as well as outrage over the judgments. The mother of the raped girl announced that the public discussion about the responsibility of parents and courts continues in such sensitivity issues.