Abuse case outraged

Lower the age of criminal responsibility? Cold-warm for Nehammer

Following the abuse of a twelve-year-old with a total of 17 suspects, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) has called for measures to be taken. In the "Krone" newspaper, the Chancellor suggests lowering the age of criminal responsibility. The parties reacted differently to this initiative. 

The defencelessness of the constitutional state in the face of such crimes is intolerable, Nehammer told "Krone". "We have to talk relentlessly about what is going wrong and where the rule of law does not offer enough opportunities to intervene."

For Women's Affairs Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP), it is "inhuman and deeply disturbing" what a terrible image of women must prevail in the minds of the perpetrators, "which in this case is also imported via migration from other cultures". She considers impunity based on age to be wrong for such "bestial, serious crimes".

"The aim must be to prevent something like this from happening in the first place"
Green Party justice spokeswoman Agnes Sirkka Prammer called the case of the twelve-year-old "shocking" and said that everything must be done to find out how this could have happened. Even if young people or even children commit crimes, there must be consequences.

We don't believe in legislating in the justified shock of this crime.

Grünen-Justizsprecherin Agnes Sirkka Prammer

There are laws for that. "However, we don't believe in legislating in the justified shock of this crime," said the Green justice spokesperson. The aim must be to prevent something like this from happening in the first place.

FPÖ sees Nehammer as a "copy machine" 
FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl in turn accused Nehammer of having started the "copying machine". The Freedom Party had already demanded several times and for a long time that age should not be an automatic license to get away with particularly serious crimes. As usual, the "pithy media announcements" will not be followed by implementation.