Brutal crime in Mürzhofen: 14-year-old with an ax in court!

Brutal crime in Mürzhofen: 14-year-old with an ax in court!

In a shocking act of violence in Mürzhofen, near Kindberg in the Bruck-Mürzzuschlag district, a 14-year-old is accused of murdering his 36-year-old brother with a Viking axe. Police were alerted on September 16 after rescue workers discovered a lifeless person with noticeable injuries. The brother was found covered in blood by his sister, and according to initial reports, he died from 17 blows to the head and suffered an air embolism. According to the autopsy, the man was bleeding to death at the scene when police arrived.

The suspect had already left the scene before the officers arrived, but was quickly located based on descriptions from witnesses. A service dog patrol caught the teenager and discovered a Viking ax in his backpack, which was originally intended as a decoration but had sharp edges. During his first interrogation, the 14-year-old confessed to attacking his brother with an axe. It is believed that a dispute over household chores was the motive for the serious crime.

Legal action and possible penalties

The trial against the 14-year-old is scheduled for one day and will take place in a week and a half. Three witnesses as well as experts from psychiatry and forensic medicine have already been invited. If convicted under juvenile criminal law, the young person faces a prison sentence of up to ten years. A crisis intervention team was called in to support the family members during this difficult time. There is great sadness in the community about this tragedy, as the local leader Christian Sander made clear.

The accused is currently attending a polytechnic school in Kapfenberg and was inconspicuous until this incident. Experts must now clarify whether the young person was sane at the time of the crime, which will be crucial for the course of the trial. The presumption of innocence applies until the court reaches a verdict.

Context to juvenile crime

In order to prevent such violent incidents in the future, the Federal Ministry of Youth Affairs is working on strategies to prevent child and youth crime. Statistics show that the majority of children and young people suspected of crimes usually only appear once before the police or criminal prosecution. However, at least 5 to 10 percent of suspects repeatedly commit serious crimes. These “intensive offenders” are often affected by complex problems, such as social disadvantage and experiences of violence.

Crime and violence prevention has increased in quality and quantity over the last 20 years. Various concepts have been introduced to prevent child and youth crime and to strengthen cooperation between child and youth welfare services, the police and the judiciary. The responsibility for implementing preventive measures lies with the states and municipalities. The Federal Youth Ministry has the authority to provide suggestions and can draw attention to unsolved problems in order to develop new strategies. A clear focus on prevention could help prevent such tragedies from happening again in the future.

For further information on this topic, we refer to the reporting by Small newspaper, Today and the extensive resources of the Federal Ministry for Family, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth.