Trial overturned

Styrian (20) broke baby’s upper arm and went into hiding

On Tuesday, a Styrian man was due to stand trial in Graz for grievous bodily harm and torturing a defenseless minor. But the young father dropped out of the trial. A manhunt is now underway for him.

The 20-year-old is alleged to have broken the upper arm of his daughter, who was only five months old at the time, in early 2023. The trial is being held for the second time due to a technicality. In the first trial, the young father was sentenced to nine months' probation at the Graz Regional Criminal Court.

No contact with the accused
However, the accused did not appear at his new trial on Tuesday. He has gone into hiding. Neither his defense lawyer nor his probation officer have any contact with him. "His last number was picked up by a woman who explained that the cell phone had been left behind in her Airbnb accommodation." He cannot be found at his home address. 

 "Not a bad person!"
"Nevertheless, I would like to say that he is not a bad person," his defense lawyer emphasized. "He was brutally overwhelmed by the situation. It happened almost intentionally, unintentionally. He actually loves his child dearly."

The probation officer has to contradict this statement. "There have been no visits since the girl was taken in." The young father is said not to have seen the little girl for almost two years. 

The presiding judge issued a wanted notice for the defendant and instructed the police to carry out investigations. The judge then broke off the hearing and adjourned it indefinitely.