Assault during trip

Diversion for pupils who abducted girls

The Aloisianum private grammar school in Linz(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger/Daniel Scharinger)

Five pupils of the Aloisianum Linz, some of whom were former pupils, who were charged with assault, have been given a reprieve. During a project trip to Italy in May 2024, they allegedly dragged a fellow pupil (15) into a room and forced her to "crack" their backs. Partial financial settlements were made in the courtroom and the case was finally dropped.

Only two of the five defendants declared at the beginning of the trial, which lasted into the evening on Friday, that they accepted "full responsibility". The others pleaded not guilty to the offence of coercion, but acknowledged that the victim was in an incriminating situation. However, they all apologized to the victim in court.

Partial compensation
The judge ruled that the victim had already made amends. After a partial compensation for damages was also handed over to the victim's lawyer in cash in the courtroom, the judge closed the proceedings.

Trial moved to jury courtroom
Due to the large number of spectators, including two school classes, the trial was moved to the large jury courtroom of the Linz Regional Court. At the beginning of the criminal complaint, the public prosecutor stated that the girl (15) had been brought into the room against her will.

"Intimidated by her inferiority", she had "squeezed" the backs of the boys, aged 16 and 17. When the schoolgirl then tried to leave the room, she was apparently tripped. The defendants left and locked the girl up. She called a friend on her cell phone and told her about the incident.

Victim needed psychological help
The victim then sought psychological help and was no longer able to go to school, said the lawyer for the young woman, who had joined the trial as a private party. He demanded 1,350 euros for the treatment costs and a lump sum of 1,500 euros. The pupil was also summoned as a witness, but was questioned in camera.

The students' defense lawyers generally asked "the question of a sense of proportion", as the lawyer for the first defendant put it. The case did not belong in criminal law, it was more a case of "youthful recklessness".