Brawl in Feldbach

17-year-old convicted of stabbing someone in the stomach

The non-final judgment was handed down on Thursday at the Graz Criminal Court.

(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

On Thursday, a 17-year-old was convicted of attempted murder without a final conviction. He allegedly stabbed a 16-year-old in the stomach with a dangerous knife in Feldbach in eastern Styria. The attack was preceded by violent arguments between the young people.

On Thursday, a 17-year-old Styrian was sentenced to eight years in prison, not legally binding: in October 2023, he allegedly attacked a colleague with a knife - a stab went so deep that the intestine hung out, a witness described at the trial.

Violent scuffles on the school grounds were the trigger
It all started when a 17-year-old boy spat in the face of his 16-year-old friend a few weeks earlier. The latter responded with a punch. "Then we went behind the school," said one of the witnesses. The "fight" continued there. "And you all stood around and watched?" asked the judge, to which the witness replied in the affirmative. "Great," commented the judge. The 17-year-old lost the argument and announced "there will be repercussions", recalled one of those present at the time.

Not finally sentenced to eight years in prison
The matter did not seem to have been settled for the two, which is why there was another altercation at a later date. A witness told the court about the phone call he received at the time: "He said he had been stabbed," said one of the boys. They found the injured man lying on the floor and covered in blood. "I pushed his bowels back in and covered the wound," recalled a friend of the seriously injured man.

The defendant denied the intention to kill, saying he had only wanted to "teach him a lesson". However, witnesses also reported that the 17-year-old had allegedly consumed a lot of drugs. The jury decided 7:1 on attempted murder. The young man was sentenced to eight years in prison. The verdict is not final.