Trial in Salzburg

Victim’s face cut up: “Scars remain”

The jury courtroom of the Salzburg provincial court(Bild: Tschepp Markus)

A man from Pinzgau wanted to protect a girl from her ex-boyfriend and became the victim of a serious attack. But: The main defendant (21) denies the attack with the broken beer bottle.

A young man from Pinzgau will bear the marks of his civil courage on his face for the rest of his life, said public prosecutor Florian Weinkamer at the trial on Friday in Salzburg Provincial Court, speaking of a "picture of a frightening willingness to use violence". On that night of September 10, 2023, the accused youths were partying in a bar in Kaprun. The main defendant, a Palestinian refugee (21), met up with his ex-girlfriend late at night. There was an argument. A brother and sister from Pinzgau saw this and intervened, which subsequently triggered the brawl with the two main defendants.

Cuts stitched with 35 stitches
The 21-year-old broke a beer bottle and pushed the broken bottle into the face of the local man. As he lay on the ground, an accomplice - a local apprentice (18) with a criminal record - kicked the victim. "It took 35 stitches to mend the mangled face. The scars will last a lifetime," says Weinkamer.

"No one deserves scars like that," at least the 18-year-old was insightful and remorseful. Unlike the 21-year-old, who only admitted to the punches during the trial, but not the serious cut. He had only noticed this the next day. The other four co-defendants denied involvement in the crime.

A verdict was still outstanding on Friday afternoon.