Brutal robbery on Stephansplatz: young people on the run!

Brutal robbery on Stephansplatz: young people on the run!

A brutal robbery occurred on February 15, 2025 at the Stephansplatz subway station in Vienna. A 53-year-old man was attacked by three teenagers while he was briefly asleep while waiting for a train. The youths rudely woke him up by hitting him in the face and stole his wallet. They then fled in an unknown direction, using the stolen ATM cards to buy cigarettes worth around 250 euros crown reported.

The investigation led to the identification of a 16-year-old Syrian national who has since been arrested. He is being investigated for robbery, alienation of cashless means of payment and suppression of documents. The teenager is also responsible for several burglaries. During his first interrogation, the 16-year-old did not confess. However, two other accomplices are still on the run, according to reports courier.

Youth crime on the rise

The incident is part of a worrying trend in Vienna, where youth crime is rising sharply, according to current police statistics. There were a total of 194,981 listings in 2024, representing a 4.6% increase compared to the previous year. What is particularly alarming is that 14,804 of these suspects were under the age of 18, an increase of 33%. The youngest offenders were only 10 years old.

The majority of young people who have committed crimes come from abroad, as shown by the figures today emerges. While the number of break-ins into apartments and houses fell, robbery crimes rose by 18.1% to 1,394 cases in 2024. This raises questions about safety in public spaces and highlights the need for more intensive prevention work.

In order to address this increasing problem, an interdisciplinary working group on “child and youth crime” was set up in Vienna in 2024. The aim of this initiative is to combat increasing youth crime and increase public safety through targeted measures and prevention strategies.