Trial begins: 18-year-old admits double murder of homeless people in Vienna

Trial begins: 18-year-old admits double murder of homeless people in Vienna

A spectacular trial has begun at the Vienna regional court against an 18-year-old who is accused of double attempted murder and serious bodily harm. According to reports from the APA, the defendant is said to have killed two sleeping homeless people with a knife in the summer of 2023 and seriously injured a homeless woman and his own mother.

The defendant pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial and confessed with some regret. "I did it. I regret it," he explained, adding that he had "gone into a kind of bloodlust." For him it felt like he was looking for something, which he achieved with these actions. Despite the serious allegations, he emphasized that he had not specifically selected the victims.

Psychiatric evaluation and its consequences

A psychiatric report confirmed that the young man was sane during his crimes and is therefore responsible. One expert even described him in the media as a “serial killer.” He warned that the defendant poses a great danger as serial killers often seek a more intense experience and target new victims in other environments.

The defendant stalked homeless people with a knife in several attacks between July and August 2023. In one particularly notable incident, he left a 56-year-old man horribly wounded while he bought a drink himself and then relaxed by watching YouTube videos in a nearby park. “It was pent-up anger,” he finally admitted. This anger, he explained, had grown over time as he had experienced many problems in his youth.

Among the injured was his mother, who was seriously attacked in September 2023. The attack resulted in broken ribs and serious injuries. “It was just pent-up anger because my youth was taken away from me,” the 18-year-old continued. It turned out that he had already had murderous fantasies beforehand. When he was in school, he even thought about going on a killing spree, but initially dismissed the idea as stupid.

Childhood and the psychological state

His defense attorney tried to paint a nuanced picture of the defendant. He described him as a “sweet, nice 18-year-old” who could by no means be viewed as an “empathy-less monster.” The young man's problems began in a difficult childhood in which he was subjected to psychological abuse by his stepmother. Tragically, his younger half-sister was shot and his stepmother subsequently committed suicide. The defendant said that he was missing “a man with clout” during this time.

This complex mix of childhood trauma, family mental illness, and pent-up anger appears to be the basis for his violent actions. The public prosecutor's office is requesting that the defendant be placed in a forensic therapeutic center in order to prevent him from relapsing. The trial will continue to be followed closely by a wide audience in the coming weeks as it raises numerous questions about young people's mental health and propensity to violence.

For more information about this process, see the current reporting on www.faz.net.