Passenger understood gesture

Girl followed and attacked: Silent call for help!

The victim was able to make herself noticed in the streetcar by using the international help sign (symbolic image)(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Christof Birbaumer, Hubert Rauth)

A 14-year-old girl had to endure a terrible ordeal in Innsbruck on Tuesday evening: The schoolgirl was literally chased and attacked by two rowdy girls. The victim fled into a streetcar, where she was able to draw attention to herself with a special cry for help.

The 14-year-old local girl was attacked again and again by a girl of the same age and a 16-year-old girl. She was apparently also followed by them. According to the police, the attackers maltreated the victim at "various locations" with kicks to the upper body and punches to the face. 

The girl was able to make herself noticed in the streetcar by using the international help sign.

Die Ermittler

Attentive passenger raised the alarm
The victim got off relatively lightly with minor injuries. The 14-year-old then ran into a streetcar, where she was able to draw attention to herself "by using the international help sign", according to the investigators. A passenger understood the gesture and immediately alerted the police.

So funktioniert es

Internationales Hilfezeichen

Das Handzeichen wird ausgeführt, indem die Innenseite der Hand gezeigt wird, zunächst aber nur der Daumen in die Handfläche gelegt ist, während die übrigen Finger gestreckt sind und anschließend nach unten über den Daumen gelegt werden, so als hätten sie den Daumen in einer Falle gefangen.

First names to the suspects
The victim and the suspects had known each other - at least fleetingly, the 14-year-old had at least been able to give the first names of the suspected perpetrators. In the course of the investigation, the police finally managed to track down the two suspects. Further investigations are underway and charges will follow.