The accused grin

Teacher in tears: “Can’t do it anymore”

The three main defendants - accused of sexual offenses - are in custody.(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

The young woman speaks via video about the atrocities that seven boys are said to have done to her. "They talked a lot about their criminal activities. They said they were a real gang with 80 people. They intimidated me a bit." That's why she endured terrible things. The defendants, however, remained unimpressed in the Vienna Landl.

The interrogation lasted several hours. The video that is played in the Wiener Landl shows a young woman nervously kneading a stress ball - so hard that it even bursts. She repeatedly brushes her hair behind her ear, unsettled. Because what she is about to tell is anything but light fare. The teacher is said to have been threatened, blackmailed and ultimately raped by a gang of youths for months. In the end, they even set fire to her apartment. 

"I made a mistake and took him with me"
It all started with an affair: "I've known the fourth defendant the longest because he's my former pupil." At the beginning of 2024, the 16-year-old sent her a request on Instagram. "I didn't want to accept it at first. Then I saw that a few of my colleagues were friends with him." They exchanged harmless trivialities - at first. "At some point, it went in a different direction." Then, on the way out: "I was really, really drunk. Yes, then I made a mistake and took him with me."

I thought to myself, he'll probably tell others and ruin me. I also knew that he was in this gang and that they weren't good people.

Junge Lehrerin in ihrer kontradiktorischen Vernehmung

The three main defendants - they are accused of sexual offenses - are in custody.(Bild: Sophie Pratschner, Krone KREATIV)

After that, they met more often: "I didn't dare to say 'no'. I thought to myself that he would surely tell others and ruin me. I also knew that he was in this gang and that they weren't good people." The 16-year-old took some of the members with him to a meeting in the teacher's apartment. "It was a bit strange because it's just not my world. They talked a lot about their criminal activities. They said they were a real gang with 80 people. They intimidated me a bit."

Teacher tolerated boys out of fear
That's why the victim repeatedly welcomed the boys into her home, entertained them - tolerated them, so to speak. "I don't think anyone halfway normal would have voluntarily surrounded themselves with something like that," she says, talking about threats and blackmail. Shocking testimony about the fifth defendant, who is said to have intimidated her the most: "The worse off I was, the happier he became." The accused are also said to have taken 800 euros from a money box from the Viennese woman. 

Abuse under drugs
The first escalation occurred last August: the teacher contacted one of the boys and wanted him to help her. During previous visits, problematic pictures were taken of the victim - under the influence of drugs. Material for further blackmail. Instead of getting help, however, the woman was drugged: "At some point I realized that I wasn't doing so well." Then, for the first time, the public is excluded - it's about the abuse of a defenceless woman.

I had to confide in someone. I knew that if I didn't do it now, I wouldn't be able to do it again.

Opfer über den ersten Schritt zur Besserung

A little later, media representatives and members of the audience were allowed back into the room. The completely distraught woman continued: "I had to confide in someone. I knew that if I didn't do it now, I wouldn't make it." She confessed the ordeal to her family and went to therapy. But not to the police. 

Fatal contact
Until the end of November, everything seemed to be moving in the right direction - no contact with the accused, she was planning to go back to work. Then she received more and more messages on Instagram from young people, including schoolchildren, with sexual innuendos. Once again, she wanted to confront the accused about what they were spreading and what had happened to the pictures and videos. 

"That was the stupidest thing I've ever done," cries the teacher. The two main defendants (15 and 17) allegedly raped her during visits to her home. The public also has to leave the courtroom for these charges. And the young people in the dock: they either kept their heads down, stared into space or repeatedly twitched the corners of their mouths - almost grinning ...

This spiral of violence only came to an end in mid-January, when the defendants set fire to the young teacher's apartment. She was on vacation abroad. Photos show: Her home was completely burnt out, nothing was left.

A verdict is due to be reached on October 20.