In Graz: U-detention for 13 suspects due to brutal hate crime extended

In Graz: U-detention for 13 suspects due to brutal hate crime extended

Graz, Österreich - The investigation against a group of 13 suspects who were taken into custody due to hate crime took a new turn. At the request of the APA, the public prosecutor's office Graz confirmed that the pre -trial detention was extended. The arrests took place on March 21 in seven federal states, with exceptions to Carinthia and Vorarlberg. The police carried out extensive house searches.

The group of perpetrators, consisting mainly of men between the ages of 14 and 26, has largely been confident. However, police circles report that there is no recognizable remorse or a awareness of injustice among the suspects. The police had found that the perpetrators lured their victims into the trap with the pretext of a date in order to then attack and rob them physically.

victim and their experiences

The victims of these crimes were not only physically attacked, but also humiliated and partially threatened with death. In some cases, the attackers were so brutal that the victims were forced to shave their heads or contact close relatives to report supposed sex dates. An alarming aspect of the investigation is that contrary to first assumptions, only about a third of the victims have homosexual tendencies.

affected people of hate crime receive special protection from the investigative authorities. It is appealed to the victims to report to the police immediately in order to receive help. Interested parties can contact the LKA Styria on 059133/60-3333 or by email to lpd-st-lka-ag-venator@polizei.gv.at.

The legal foundations of hate crime

The legal framework for the pursuit of hate crime is well anchored in the German legal system. The report "Possibilities of effective law enforcement in hate crime" by Prof. Dr. Dieter Kugelmann illuminates the topic intensively. The definition of hate crime alone includes crimes that are committed due to group -related characteristics such as nationality, breed or sexual orientation.

A central point of the report is the need to take into account inhuman motives for punishment in accordance with Section 46 (2) of the Criminal Code. In addition, the insufficient classification of such crimes is pointed out as hate crime within the existing structures. In order to counteract this problem, various recommendations are made, including the creation of administrative regulations and the integration of hate crime into the training of the police and judiciary.

The analysis shows that the effective combating of these forms of crime requires a coordinated effort between the investigative authorities and civil society. Another step could be the addition of the national action plan to combat racism for specific measures against hate crime in order to strengthen trust in the judiciary and the investigative authorities.