Sushi host says:

“The perpetrators never apologized to me”

In an interview with the "Krone" newspaper, the Linz sushi hostess who was run over talks about the sentence imposed on the two teenagers and what it was like to face them again for the first time since the horror drive in August. She also reveals what no verdict can change and what she would have liked to see.

On Tuesday, the two teenagers from Graz who ran over a Linz sushi waitress with their car in August had to face the verdict in their home town. As reported, the 17-year-old at the time of the crime received a 30-month prison sentence, while the 16-year-old female driver, who has been convicted several times, was sentenced to four years in prison - not legally binding.

"I think the sentences are fair because they are both still minors," says their victim Lihua C. (42). After all, the two had also ruined their own young lives, and she could have imagined higher sentences for older offenders.

Only seen briefly
Fortunately, worries about a traumatic reunion with the perpetrators in court were not confirmed on the day of the trial: "I only saw them very briefly when I was called to the witness stand," says the sushi hostess. "And even then, there were several people standing between us, so it wasn't bad for me!"

They also ruined my life, I'm in a lot of pain, have to take medication and can't help my husband with his work.

Sushi-Wirtin Lihua C. 

The verdict doesn't change that
The physical health of the victims is much worse: As reported, Lihua C. had to be operated on six times, with more operations still to come. "They have also ruined my life, I'm in a lot of pain, have to take medication and can't help my husband at work!" No verdict could change that.

Would have meant a lot
The verdict was rather "strict", partly because the two denied any intent until the end. "That's why they never apologized to my client," said the victim's lawyer. "That wouldn't have made up for everything, but it would have meant a lot to her!"