Musician in court

Did musician abuse boys after wedding party?

The trial took place at Innsbruck Regional Court.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

After a wedding party, of all things, an Innsbruck man (39) allegedly lured two boys into the nearby forest and carried out "acts of masturbation" on them. Now he is on trial.

The accusations against the freelance musician were serious. According to the public prosecutor's office, the events that ultimately landed him in the dock occurred at the end of May after a wedding party at which the man was performing.

The boys - 8 and 10 years old at the time - had approached him after the performance when he was already at his car, had sought a conversation until the accused had "offered" to show them "men's things" in the nearby forest.

I drove off at some point because their questions were getting too much for me.

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But at the Innsbruck Regional Court, the accused vehemently denied the accusations. "There was a conversation about my musical instruments with the boys, but I simply drove off at some point because their questions were getting too much for me," the 39-year-old justified himself.

Acquittal in case of doubt
Due to contradictions in the interrogations of the pupils, the panel of lay judges led by Judge Thomas Wallnöfer ultimately had doubts as to whether it had actually happened as the boys had described and the public prosecutor's office had charged. "It cannot be assumed with a probability bordering on certainty that the man was guilty," said the judge, explaining the acquittal.