17-year-old sentenced to probation after internet threats against landlord

17-year-old sentenced to probation after internet threats against landlord

Horn, Österreich - in Horn, a 17-year-old threatened a host on the Internet with life and also slandered it as a pedophile. According to the report by Meinbezirk.at, the innocent young man with a conditional prison sentence of two months, because he stated in court that he had acted out of psychological problems and family difficulties. In his posts, which were given and shared by over 100 users, he threatened the restaurateur and insulted a friend whose image he published with a derogatory name. Despite his regret, according to the judge, the allegations were too serious for a milder punishment, and he was sentenced to participate in psychotherapy and probation.

In the meantime, an article from Rechtsanwalt-flatz.at indicates that sending images that are affected with National Socialist content is punishable in Austria. This applies not only to send pictures to messenger services such as WhatsApp or Facebook, but also the private transmission of such materials. In this way, even "fun pictures" with National Socialist allusions could quickly lead to serious criminal consequences. The Section 3g of the Prohibition Act provides for high penalties for re -activation, which can range from six months to 20 years of imprisonment, depending on the severity of the crime and the intention of the perpetrator. Especially after the tightening of the prohibition law from January 1, 2024, even supposedly harmless comments or images with Nazi relief are punishable, which significantly increases the legal risks for the cause.

The legal effects are enormous, especially since similar incidents like that of the 17-year-old in Horn show how easy it is to get into such a situation. It is advised to be extremely careful when dealing with sensitive content in order to avoid legal consequences. It is also crucial to recognize the severity and the context of such content in order to prevent criminal consequences.