Stopped by a police officer

Woman came to court with knife in belt buckle

The woman was caught with such an "accessory" (symbolic image) in the "Landl".(Bild: Krone KREATIV/stock.adobe)

Dangerous "accessory": A vigilant security officer stopped a woman carrying a prohibited weapon around her waist during access control at the Vienna Provincial Court. She apparently wanted to attend a criminal trial against juveniles.

A belt as a weapon made headlines in the bloody attack of a 35-year-old man in Horn (Lower Austria). Last Friday, the Afghan had wrapped the belt around his hand like brass knuckles and punched three people with full force. The broken spike of the buckle got stuck centimetres deep in the skull of one of the 16-year-old victims.

Dangerous "trend"
The belt as a weapon is not an isolated case, but often even a deliberate acquisition, as an incident in the Vienna Criminal Court shows. Recently, a woman walked through the security checkpoint without a care in the world - and had a prohibited weapon with her. A belt was strapped around her hips, concealing a hidden knife in its buckle.

Last week in Horn, a belt (without a knife) became a dangerous weapon.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/zVg, Attila Molnar, stock.adobe.com)

Thanks to a vigilant security guard in the "Landl", the woman, who was on her way to a juvenile criminal trial, was stopped. The staff immediately called the police, the knife in the belt buckle was confiscated and the belt wearer was reported to the police. "Such weapons are practically a trend among young people," according to security circles.

Prohibited under the Weapons Act
They are also advertised on the Internet as "cutlery belts". Some of the advertisements claim that such accessories are permitted. This is of course not the case! A knife concealed in the belt buckle is a prohibited weapon. The acquisition, carrying or possession without authorization is punishable by law.