People's Attorney determined: Questions about police work in the Pilnacek case!

People's Attorney determined: Questions about police work in the Pilnacek case!

In the case of Mag. Christian Pilnacek, police work is again criticized. According to media reports on suspicions and allegations regarding the investigation, the public prosecutor's office spoke up. This has now announced that it will check the allegations as an independent control device. In particular, it is about finding the body and the subsequent police investigations that raise questions and nourish speculations about the circumstances of death. As Kleine Zeitung , Interior Minister Karner should provide detailed answers to these processes.

On October 20, 2023, Pilnacek's body was found near Krems, whereupon the State Criminal Police Office in Lower Austria took over the investigation. The public prosecutor's office in Krems has excluded external debt due to an expert opinion, but the politician Peter Pilz said in his book in his book. General Secretary Christian Hafenecker from the FPÖ also sees signs of a possible homicide and speaks of a presumed concentration campaign. These critical voices underline the trust that is shaken in both the police and the public prosecutor.

political and social relevance

The allegations not only have political implications, but also tear a bigger topic: police work in Austria. Amnesty International reported police violence a year ago and has been calling for a comprehensive evaluation of the police operation since then. Annemarie Schlack from Amnesty emphasizes that an independent investigative and complaint office must be set up in order to restore the trust of the population in the police work. It emphasizes the need to involve civil society expertise in order to take into account all perspectives, especially those of those affected. This could help to increase the pressure on obtaining more transparency and responsibility, especially in view of the incidents at the Klimademo in Vienna in May 2019, in which demonstrating citizens were seriously injured.

The Minister of Justice Alma Zadić has announced that criminal proceedings have already been initiated against eight police officers, but they continue to run. The discussion about the integration of external expertise is continued, among other things, by a parliamentary request to Interior Minister Nehammer, which aimed at implementation by autumn 2020, but without any noteworthy progress.

demands for reforms

Amnesty International and numerous civil society organizations are calling for the creation of a corresponding authority to be responsible for the investigation in the event of allegations of police violence. A central point is the introduction of a labeling obligation for police officers. The instrumentalization of the police for political purposes is the focus in the allegations against the investigation in the Pilnacek case. However, the highest public prosecutor has so far not adequately advanced the reforms on the problem of police violence, which makes the demand for a clear and transparent act of action all the more pressing.

The interplay of politics, police and judiciary in Austria is shown by these sensitive issues, where the public's trust is also at stake. The coming weeks could be crucial for clarifying further questions and the possible reform of the police structures.