Shock judgment in Vienna: 14-year-old in court-what kind of victim?

Shock judgment in Vienna: 14-year-old in court-what kind of victim?

On September 16, 2025, a particularly serious crime will be negotiated in court. Two Afghan adolescents who were 14 and 13 years old in Vienna-Brigittenau at the time of their act in February 2023 are faced with a court trial due to the alleged rape of a 17-year. While the 14-year-old, who has already been convicted of a robbery, takes care of his possible prison sentence of 15 months, his 13-year-old accomplice, who is now also 14 years old and is therefore punishable, denies any responsibility. The victim, which was strongly under the influence of drugs at the time of the crime, defended itself against the attacks, but was captured by the perpetrators until a residents intervened and forced them to flee.

The case not only raises legal but also social issues. The prosecutor has already registered doubts about the 13-year-old's credibility, whose statements are against that of the victim. As part of the Youth Court Act (JGG), special procedures are used for such crimes, because the JGG has the goal of raising young criminals and not exclusively punishing. It is intended to prevent young people from becoming repeated.

Focus on youth criminal law

Youth criminal law defines a clear separation between children under the age of 14 who are dismissal and adolescents who can be held responsible from the age of 14. According to the JGG, young people can be prosecuted if they recognize the wrong of their actions. In the case of proceedings against young people, care is often taken to not endanger the perpetrators' ability to integrate. There is often a perpetrator-victim compensation to ensure direct rehabilitation.

In recent years there have been more public discussions about the fuel limit, which is currently 14 years. There are voices in politics and in the media that require a lowering of the border. These discussions were inspired by isolated extreme violent offenses of minors and the increasing figures in the police crime statistics (PKS). In 2024, more than 217,000 cases of violent crime were registered, which further illustrates the connection between youth crime and social problems.

It is believed that factors such as migration, integration of refugees and the Corona crisis have contributed to the increase in violence among young people. In addition, the PKS shows that the majority of suspects are male, even if the proportion of children and adolescents in the total numbers is relatively low. Nevertheless, their level of activity is worrying.

The discussion about the design of youth criminal law is more up -to -date than ever. It is important to reconcile scientific knowledge and practical incidents in order to maintain both the rights of the victims and to improve the chances of integration for young perpetrators.

The current case will continue to be pursued in the coming months, and it remains to be seen how the judgments will influence the public and political perception of youth crime.