Trial begins: Rape of a twelve-year-old in Vienna-Favoriten

Trial begins: Rape of a twelve-year-old in Vienna-Favoriten

The first trial against a 17-year-old who is accused of sexually abusing a 12-year-old on multiple occasions is taking place this week in Vienna-Favoriten. This is a significant case as the public prosecutor's office is already investigating a whole group of teenagers who are said to be involved in various attacks throughout 2023. The alleged perpetrators are made up of various nationalities, including Syrians, Austrians and Turks, and are between the ages of 14 and 18, while a 19-year-old is also involved in the case.

The 12-year-old is said to have been in contact with the accused at the beginning of the year through a boy she was in love with. This led to a dangerous circle in which the girl was exploited. It is reported that the teenagers filmed her with cell phone cameras and then blackmailed her to force her to engage in further sexual acts. Shame and fear of the evidence provided prevented her from immediately contacting her mother.

Blackmail and legal consequences

The investigators finally became aware of the 17-year-old through Instagram messages. He denies ever discussing the girl's age and believes he was acting with a consensual partner. Amid the legal proceedings, there is a ban on filming and photography to protect the privacy of those involved.

Another trial against a 16-year-old is scheduled to begin on December 5th. This young person is being investigated for, among other things, attempted coercion, with serious allegations being made that he wanted to pressure the 12-year-old to carry out further sexual acts after the first sexual intercourse, otherwise he threatened to publish compromising material on the Internet.

The Vienna public prosecutor's office is actively involved in this case, as it is investigating not only the directly accused young people, but also another 14 suspects. They are also suspected of having committed serious sexual assaults against minors. Two of these suspects are accused of taking video recordings of the girl during the sexual assaults in order to use them for their own purposes.

These processes are attracting a lot of attention and raising questions about the safety and protection of minor children in digital and social spaces. The defendants face serious charges, and developments over the next few weeks could be crucial for legal action against sexual abuse in society. For detailed reporting on the current state of affairs, go to www.kleinezeitung.at.