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Trial for gruesome murder: Ebadullah A. in court
In the trial surrounding the triple murder in the Asia Studio, the defendant talks about his paranoid schizophrenia. The acts were brutal attacks on three sex workers in Vienna.
Trial for gruesome murder: Ebadullah A. in court
The trial of Ebadullah A., a 27-year-old Afghan who brutally murdered three sex workers in an Asia studio in February 2024, began yesterday in a frosty jury courtroom in Vienna. While the temperatures in the hall dropped, the gruesome details of the crimes kept those present in suspense.
On February 23, 2024, Ebadullah, who lived in a precarious social situation, rang the bell at the Asia Studio on Engerthstrasse around half past seven. The operator, a 67-year-old woman, assigned him a room as usual. But when the first sex worker, a 47-year-old Chinese woman, entered the room, his rampage began. He stabbed her at least 16 times before stabbing another prostitute in the next room 30 times. Ultimately, the studio operator was also killed with at least 60 stabs. “It was a massacre, a slaughter, it was a killing spree,” said forensic psychiatrist Peter Hofmann.
Mental illness and escape history
The perpetrator's background is shocking: Ebadullah A. and his family fled Afghanistan from the Taliban in 2021. After a stay in Iran, where they lived in poor conditions, the family sent Ebadullah to Europe. His mental health deteriorated noticeably over time. He believed he was being controlled by a witch, which led to a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. This illness could be related to his traumatic experiences during the escape.
His defense attorney, Philipp Springer, told of a close relationship between Ebadullah and a volunteer who had fallen in love with him. But when the situation changed, he became delirious. Ebadullah left Serbia and came to Austria, where his mental health continued to decline. From January 2024 he lived with an acquaintance in Vienna, but the condition was alarming. Aside from insomnia, he experienced strange hallucinations and felt like he was being pursued by evil forces.
On the night of the crime, Ebadullah believed he had to eradicate “evil.” The path to the Asia Studio was littered with knives and the police arrested him at the scene. During his interrogation, he reported that the devil had led him to his actions. Psychiatrist Hofmann is certain that Ebadullah suffers from severe schizophrenia. The jury decided that he should be committed to a forensic therapy center, a decision that lasts indefinitely.
This trial shines a harsh light on the challenges refugees face in Europe, particularly when mental illness comes into play. The reports about this case and the associated issues of mental health and social integration are of great importance, especially in an environment rife with prejudice. More information was provided in detail in www.falter.at treated.