Investigations into police work: What happened after Pilnacek's death?

Investigations into police work: What happened after Pilnacek's death?

Wachau, Österreich - On March 24, 2025, the public prosecutor MMAG. Elisabeth Schwetz initiated an official test procedure for police work on the death of section chief Mag. Christian Pilnacek. The reason for this procedure are critical media reports that contain allegations of police work in the event and investigations after the death of Pilnacek. He was found lifeless in a Danube arm in the Wachau on October 20, 2023. There is speculation about the circumstances of death that have created high public pressure.

The public prosecutor, who has been examining public administration in Austria since 1977, will put questions to the Federal Minister of the Interior, Mag. Gerhard Karner. These concern, among other things, the course of the police operation to the removal of the body, the implementation of the autopsy and the selection of the autopsy appraiser and the determination of the cause of death and time.

Investigations and Odduction

After the body was found, both investigations and attempts to cover up. A central point in this case is Christian Pilnacek's private cell phone, which contained contacts with high-ranking ÖVP politicians, including Sebastian Kurz. A quick conclusion of the case than suicide would have made the autopsy and evaluation of this cell phone superfluous. This is particularly important because police officers have tried to prevent the autopsy, which the family doctor Dagmar W. rejected.

Dagmar W. arrived at the site at 9:20 a.m. and found that a forensic medical examination was necessary. Your assessment led to the cause of death not clearly determined. However, the Krems public prosecutor realized that an autopsy was necessary, which ultimately required the general practitioner, without which the investigation might only have taken a few hours.

public reactions and context

The processes around Christian Pilnacek's death triggered a lot of discussion in public. Critical voices criticize the police's action, while other attempts to cover up and influence high -ranking politicians. Peter Pilz has researched the events for his book "Pilnacek - The Death of the Section Head" and provides a deep insight into the topic.

Similar incidents in which police custody has occurred, questions about the standards and the handling of the police raise questions. This discussion is all the more relevant in the light of the ongoing review by the public prosecutor and the associated investigation. The public finally calls for transparency and justice in a case that has far -reaching political and social implications.