Already with a criminal record

Teenagers robbed MA 11 caregiver

This is not the first time the first defendant (15) has been in the Vienna regional court.

(Bild: APA/HANS PUNZ)

Using scissors and a butter knife, three teenagers robbed the caretaker of a shared flat run by the MA11. Because she reminded the boys to get a good night's sleep, a 15-year-old got angry and made a decision. And this just five days before his first trial in Vienna's regional court ...

Bad family relationships, the wrong circle of friends, deceased and absent parents - the three teenagers have already had to deal with a lot individually. The first defendant (15) had to be placed in an assisted living community after the death of his mother, his 16-year-old friend was in hospital and a crisis center several times - he does not want to talk about the reason.

Butter knife and scissors as knives
Just like the 14-year-old third in the group, who didn't want to talk about what he calls his "problematic time". Now they are all sitting together with their heads bowed in Vienna's provincial court. On February 7, the young people met in the 15-year-old's shared flat and wanted to cook something around half past eight in the evening. Ten o'clock is closing time in the assisted living home, a social worker reminded the first defendant.

We wanted to commit a robbery before then. But we were afraid to do it.

15-jähriger Erstangeklagter

That's when he and the 14-year-old made a decision: to rob the care worker. "Out of anger?" asks Judge Hahn - "We wanted to commit a robbery beforehand. But we were afraid of it," admits the 15-year-old. Armed with scissors and a butter knife, the three of them went to the woman's office. "I won't do anything, but give me the money," said one of the accused, pointing the scissors at the caregiver. They also took her cell phone.

Lawyer Wolfgang Haas defends a young robber.

(Bild: Andreas Schiel)

Finally, they took 2005 euros from a locked cash box, the other young people's lunch money. The three were caught in the stairwell. But it is still a serious robbery. And this, just a few days before the first trial against the first defendant for an incident involving a fire extinguisher in a crisis center in the 15th district. As a result, he was given an additional eleven-month conditional sentence.

Defense lawyer remains optimistic
The second defendant, the 16-year-old, receives a 6-month suspended sentence. He just went along with it, he says meekly to the judge. The youngest is sentenced to nine months suspended. "He has now put his life back in order," says his defense lawyer Wolfgang Haas, confident that he will finish secondary school. The sentences are not final.