Life imprisonment

Elias tortured to death: Father accepts verdict!

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12.02.2026 08:49

The trial surrounding little Elias (3), who was tortured to death by his parents, shocked the whole of Austria and beyond on Monday. The two 27-year-olds were ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment – initially not legally binding. Now there are new developments: Elias' father and mother accept the sentence! 

"In this case, I can inform you that my client will not appeal the guilty verdict," defense attorney Matthias Holzmann emphasized to the "Krone" on Thursday morning.

Specifically, this means: "The child's father accepts the verdict. He considers it a just punishment and now wants to work through his misconduct in prison with professional help."

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The child's father wants to work through his misconduct in prison with professional help.

Matthias Holzmann, Verteidiger des Vaters

The parents covered their faces during Monday's court proceedings.
The parents covered their faces during Monday's court proceedings.(Bild: Johanna Birbaumer)

Oliver Mathis, defense attorney for Elias's mother, also discussed the verdict "at length" with his client. "She also does not wish to take any action against it and accepts it," Mathis emphasized to the "Krone" newspaper. She is happy "when she is transferred from pre-trial detention to the forensic therapy center and can begin therapy there." However, this will take some time, as the defense attorney notes.  

The Innsbruck public prosecutor's office is also not appealing the verdict.

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My client will be happy when she is transferred from pre-trial detention to the forensic therapy center.

Oliver Mathis, Verteidiger der Mutter

Boy had to endure unimaginable torment
The agonizing death of the three-year-old Tyrolean boy—who was tortured by his own parents for five endless months until he finally starved and died of thirst in a 50 x 50 cm drawer—exceeded the limits of what is bearable at the Innsbruck Regional Court. 

"Mystical illusory world" with demon
The couple (both 27 years old) called the demon they believed to be in their child's body "It," "Dorothea," or "the Old Woman," and said it "had to be defeated." "No delusion and no illness," emphasized experienced court psychiatrist Adelheid Kastner. The parents were simply looking for an outlet to cope with their chaotic everyday life with three other young daughters and financial problems, and to avoid having to acknowledge their own fault in the matter.

The parents had confessed during the trial on Monday at the Innsbruck Regional Court, with the father finding "no explanation" for his actions. The mother made no further statement.

Tears among the jurors
During the trial, the jury also had to view pictures and videos of the tortured boy. The shock of what they saw was evident on their faces, and some of them had to turn away from the screen. There were also tears.

This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.

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