Trial in Feldkirch

Bona fide pensioner robbed by Romanian woman

The Romanian woman will spend 14 months behind bars.(Bild: Chantall Dorn)

The brazen thief gained the trust of her victims and took advantage of them. On Friday, she had to answer for grand larceny at the regional court in Feldkirch - and is now behind bars.

The defense lawyer's request for a lenient sentence for his client sounds almost like a mockery. "She didn't pocket the money for herself, she sent it to Romania. It's like a clan. You also have to understand the circumstances of the people living in Romania," says the lawyer.

Officially known in German-speaking countries
The fact that the 46-year-old criminal tourist already has five previous convictions for such crimes in Germany, Switzerland and Austria also shows how little the unemployed person cares about the law, especially as she has always got away with conditional prison sentences in the past. After three thefts in Vorarlberg, in which she stole money and jewelry worth a total of 8,300 euros from pensioners, the thieving Romanian's "lucky streak" has now come to an end at the regional court in Feldkirch.

They specifically look for old people, whose trust they then exploit to get into their homes. This is particularly reprehensible.

Richterin Lisa Pfeifer

Judge Lisa Pfeifer sentenced her to an unconditional prison sentence of 14 months for aggravated commercial theft. She must pay compensation to the victims in the amount of 8300 euros within two weeks. How she is supposed to manage this is another question. The fact is that the unemployed Romanian has not a single penny to her name.

So it is little consolation for the senior citizens who were robbed when the professional thief says that she will pay back the money if she ever has any. The verdict is not legally binding.