"Misunderstanding"

Accusation of rape against Graz hairdresser

Serious allegations have been made against a Styrian hairdresser. The man is said to have brutally raped an acquaintance at his home several times. The accused denies the act of violence. It was all just a misunderstanding, claims the 30-year-old.

According to the public prosecutor's office in Graz, the victim and the suspect have known each other for several years. They had met through an ex-boyfriend of the woman, whose hairdresser the accused had been.

Regular contact on the internet
There had already been a tentative approach between the two in 2022, but contact broke off again. A year ago, the later victim contacted the suspect again. They wrote regularly via the online platform Snapchat.

Messages with heart emojis
At some point, they met. The Styrian woman had lost a close relative and didn't want to be alone, as she explained. Before the meeting, the two had sent each other lots of messages with heart emojis.

I wrote her a message immediately afterwards and apologized.

Der angeklagte Friseur

In the hairdresser's apartment, the brutal assaults are said to have taken place in bed. The victim describes how she screamed and put up a massive fight.

Apologized for "misunderstanding"
At his trial in Graz (presided over by Julia Riffel), the 30-year-old claimed that it had been consensual sex and that there had merely been a misunderstanding for which he had immediately apologized. As the victim did not appear, the trial will continue in mid-February.