Spittal: Man invents robbery and lies to police!

Spittal: Man invents robbery and lies to police!

A 38-year-old man from Spittal an der Drau caused a stir when he reported an alleged robbery to the police on April 2, 2025 at 9:45 p.m. He stated that he had been threatened with a butterfly knife by an unknown person. According to his description, the perpetrator asked him to hand over his ATM card and inflicted an injury on his right cheek. But the subsequent investigation revealed contradictions in the man's account.

The 38-year-old was already entangled in inconsistencies during the victim interview. The police determined that the injuries did not correspond to the incident described. This led to the man eventually confessing to making up the robbery attempt; in fact, the injuries came from a fall. So the perpetrator never existed, and the man remorsefully acknowledged his wrongdoing. He expressed regret for lying to the police and was unclear about the implications of his actions.

The consequences for the perpetrator

After the investigation is completed, the 38-year-old will be reported to the Klagenfurt public prosecutor. This raises questions about the contributory responsibility of such false statements, which not only incriminate the police but can also influence the public perception of crime. Police crime statistics receive special attention in this context: reports are published every year, but they are often misinterpreted.

How Morning post reports, the police crime statistics (PKS) regularly show increasing numbers of violent crime. Last year, 217,300 violent crimes were recorded, the highest level since 2010. Knife attacks in particular are a worrying phenomenon and experts are calling for more comprehensive security reports to better understand such developments.

Criticism of police statistics

The statistical data only records crimes that the police are aware of, usually through reports. A third of crimes are not reported out of shame or fear, which often distorts reality. Dark field research also shows that an estimated 80% of cybercrime goes undetected. This highlights the complexity of the issue and the difficulties facing police statistics.

In addition, trust in the police plays a crucial role: Migrants in particular are often less willing to file reports. Discrepancies like these could greatly influence the interpretation of crime statistics and highlight that many crimes go unnoticed or are not viewed as serious.

The incident in Spittal is an example of the challenges within the legal system and the associated social implications. It remains to be seen what measures will be taken by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser after the publication of the upcoming PKS to address the challenges in the area of ​​combating crime meinkreis.at reported. Whether the different perceptions of crime and its documentation can be better harmonized in the future is a central concern for politics and society.