Trial in Klagenfurt

Carinthian man (43) tortured his partner’s children

A 43-year-old man was sentenced to a fine of 3,800 euros and four months' conditional imprisonment for torturing the three children of his former partner at Klagenfurt Regional Court on Tuesday. According to the criminal complaint, the children had to starve, stand in the corner for hours on end, and were threatened and beaten.

The Higher Regional Court of Graz had overturned the 43-year-old's diversion because there was insufficient insight into his guilt and the guilt was serious. In the new trial, the Carinthian, who according to the judge had had a difficult childhood himself, pleaded guilty to the criminal charge, but said that he had "only scolded".

Threatened boy that he had to smoke a cigarette
When asked, he confessed to "occasionally hitting a child on the head". He had been stressed about work. In fact, much more is said to have happened. Once the accused threatened one of the boys that he would have to smoke a whole carton of cigarettes until he vomited. That was not true, the accused said.

Mother allegedly looked the other way
The diversion for the partner and mother of the children, who was originally on trial with the defendant, was not lifted. She is not alleged to have used violence, but to have looked the other way. The 43-year-old has had no contact with the children for two years, which he said hurts him. After the verdict was announced, Judge Gernot Kugi admonished him: "Never behave like that towards a child again!" The children - now aged 13 to 16 - were each awarded 500 euros in damages, 100 of which they had already received in the course of the diversion.

Defendant accepts guilty verdict
The 43-year-old accepted the guilty verdict for torturing or neglecting minors, young or defenceless persons, the public prosecutor made no statement. The verdict is therefore not legally binding.