Little deterrent

Bomb-threat perpetrators usually get away with little punishment

A state of emergency prevailed in the city center of Linz for six hours on Wednesday.(Bild: Lauber/laumat.at Matthias)

A look at the archives shows that the perpetrators usually underestimate the legal consequences - because it's always expensive. But hardly anyone goes to prison. A fact that is probably not much of a deterrent for repeat offenders.

The bomb threat against the Spittelwiese Academic High School in Linz - the perpetrator or perpetrators have not yet been identified. The State Office for State Protection and Counter-Extremism (LSE) is investigating at full speed, but a result is not expected until next week.

Suspicion of land coercion
In view of the enormous amount of damage, estimated by the police at 38,000 euros, and the suspicion of land coercion §275, it is interesting to take a look at the archive to see what penalties the perpetrator could face. After all, the maximum sentence is three years.

In October, two 21-year-olds were sentenced to four and six months' conditional imprisonment respectively for writing a bomb threat on the toilet door of a vocational school in Völkermarkt (Carinthia) and publishing it.

14 months for two threats
On Tuesday, a 26-year-old with an unstable criminal record was sentenced to 14 months in prison for twice threatening to plant bombs at the train station in Feldkirch (Vorarlberg).

On the other hand, a man from Salzburg (51) was fined for threatening to bomb Salzburg Airport while drunk last year out of fear of "chemtrails". He had to pay a fine of 1,350 euros.