Underage, therefore a witness

Robber (13) to the judge: “Do I speak Latin?”

The rebellious 13-year-old is of criminal age (symbolic image).(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Manfred Helmer, zVg)

While other children are at school, several 13-year-olds are summoned to a robbery trial. A petite boy with wide trousers, who has yet to break his voice, is the main perpetrator of the crime in Vienna. Because he is underage, he is only a witness in the trial against his 14-year-old accomplice - and turns out to be cheeky and disrespectful.

On July 8, three boys aged 13 and 14 order their "school friends" to Simmering on a pretext. They meet the quartet on the streetcar. The youngest grabs one of the four 13-year-olds by the neck and forces the victims to get off the tram. The 13-year-old pulls out a knife, the accused 14-year-old holds a stun gun in his hand. "Jump so we can hear the money," the youngest is said to have threatened at gunpoint before collecting a cell phone and a total of 40 euros.

Victim threatened with knife and taser
It is he who is causing more of a stir as a witness in the trial, which is taking place in the "Landl" despite the bomb threat, than the defendant defended by lawyer Ernst Schillhammer. The boy, who is estimated to be 1.60 meters tall and weighs 40 kilograms, amazes with his callous descriptions: "Okay, the truth is, I am the perpetrator. I threatened the victims with a knife and stole their cell phones," he says dryly, before pointing at the accused and asking: "Why is he here? He has nothing to do with this." - "Did you want to buy a cell phone that day?" asks Ms. Rat. The cheeky answer: "I stole one. Why would I buy one?" And when asked snottily: "Am I talking Latin?"

I stole a cell phone. Why should I buy one?

Der 13-Jährige als Zeuge im Raubprozess.

The third provokes with his sweater during the trial
The boy from Afghanistan lives in a shared flat, as does the second 13-year-old accomplice. The witness, who also still looks very childlike, comes to court wearing a dark hoodie with the words "Pro Fighter" and a fighter pictured on it. He also smiles as he leaves the courtroom. 

"It's not clear what role my client played in the robbery," interjects Schillhammer. The boy himself states that he was only present, but that he neither threatened nor took anything. Based on the incriminating victim statements, he was sentenced to 12 months' conditional imprisonment by the jury. It is doubtful that his 13-year-old companions have been reformed by his court appearance.