From the court

Bus driver allegedly assaulted boy

(Bild: Chantall Dorn)

Serious allegations were made against a 58-year-old man from Oberland at Feldkirch Regional Court on Friday: He is alleged to have sexually abused an impaired 10-year-old boy.

The previously blameless man had to answer to the jury. The allegations are serious: he is said to have induced a then ten-year-old boy from the Vorarlberg children's village to have oral sex. A crime for which the 58-year-old could face up to ten years in prison. The serious sexual abuse of the special needs pupil is said to have taken place a good two years ago in Rankweil.

According to the prosecutor's account, the accused bus driver regularly chauffeured children and young people from the supervised residential home. This means that the man was also familiar with the 10-year-old boy. When the bus driver once saw the child standing alone at a bus stop in Feldkirch, he offered him a ride home. Relieved, the schoolboy got into the private car with him.

Involuntary trip to excavator holes
"The accused took the child to the dredging holes and said that he would take him swimming first. Once there, he asked the boy to put the man's penis in his mouth. Shortly afterwards, the accused broke things off and took the victim to the assisted living group," said public prosecutor Johannes Hartmann, summarizing the indictment.

During the trial, the bus driver denied the crime. But he does not want to comment on this. Instead, his defense lawyer Franz Josef Giesinger speaks up for his client, describing him as a kind-hearted person who took care of the often sad boy. "He even wanted to adopt him. However, as this was not financially possible for him, he supported the child with 25 euros a month."

For Giesinger, it was testimony against testimony. The reason: "When the boy returned to the children's village, he said nothing about a sexual assault." So why did he report it so late? In this context, Giesinger criticizes the caregivers' questioning technique and states: "When underage victims make statements, suggestive questions often have a massive influence." In the course of the questioning, the boy's statements also turned out differently.

 A psychological expert opinion is now to provide information about the credibility of the victim. The trial has been adjourned indefinitely.