Raab on social welfare:

Parents of conspicuous children to cut welfare benefits

Susanne Raab, ÖVP(Bild: APA/Eva Manhart)

The rape of a twelve-year-old by 17 perpetrators, some of whom were minors, has deeply affected Family Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP), like so many parents in the country. The Family Minister is also calling for the age of criminal responsibility to be lowered to twelve and has little sympathy for Justice Minister Alma Zadić (Greens), who reflexively rejects the ÖVP's proposal.

"The fact that all 17 alleged perpetrators who raped and sexually abused the twelve-year-old are now at large shows how defenceless the rule of law is when it comes to perpetrators who are not of age to stand trial. But it is also a mockery of the victim. Because it is quite possible that the twelve-year-old will now meet her tormentors on the way to school or at the bakery. There needs to be a response from the state."

Raab also identifies a trend that calls for the criminal law to be tightened: criminal organizations "are increasingly using under 14-year-olds" because they are not yet of criminal age.

Making parents responsible
Raab also wants to focus on prevention. "Many offenders have a history and usually become conspicuous at school," says Raab. In future, there should be tougher sanctions against parents if they refuse to contact the school or female teaching staff in the event of problems. Raab can imagine sanctions such as a reduction in family or social benefits.

"We have to think about all the levers we can use to support teachers, because parents also have a duty to cooperate." The ÖVP minister believes that it is a misunderstanding of tolerance if we are not allowed to address the fact that migration also imports a false image of women, where girls are "seen as objects" ...