Political Dispute Between the FPÖ and ÖVP

Violence Against Women: Who Leads the (Foreign) Statistics

Honor killing trial against an Afghan pizza maker in Vienna: The FPÖ criticizes violence against women by foreigners and the lack of deportations; the ÖVP counters.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Eva Manhart, BMI)

Political dispute between the FPÖ and ÖVP over crime statistics! Following shocking cases, the Freedom Party is criticizing the number of charges filed against foreign suspects in cases of violence against women and referring to “show deportations.” The People’s Party counters with “false figures and cheap points at the expense of the police.”

Life imprisonment (not yet final) for the attempted honor killing of a 15-year-old girl by an Afghan pizza maker in Vienna—this recent trial shook all of Austria. The Freedom Party is therefore examining violent crimes committed by foreign suspects with legal residency status. From murder, manslaughter, and assault to human trafficking, sexual abuse, extortion, and robbery.

Six women a day fall victim to violence
According to the report, 2,062 women fell victim to crimes committed by foreigners last year—an average of nearly six crimes per day. “This is the result of the ÖVP’s showboating politics, where they celebrate individual deportations while thousands more are arriving in our country at the same time,” FPÖ Secretary General Michael Schnedlitz sharply criticizes.

This is showboating politics, where they celebrate individual deportations while thousands of new people are arriving in our country at the same time.

FPÖ-Generalsekretär Michael Schnedlitz

Bild: Reinhard Holl

In response to a query from “Krone,” the Ministry of the Interior stated that there were a total of 88,000 reports of violent crimes last year. With 1,000 cases, asylum seekers account for only a fraction of the total crime rate. In these statistics, Syrians rank ahead of Afghans.

“Cheap political points at the expense of hard-working police officers”
The rest are attributed to EU citizens or other foreigners. These include, for example, cases involving tourists who slap their own wives at a hotel bar. ÖVP Secretary-General Nico Marchetti therefore sharply counters: “The FPÖ is criticizing law enforcement with false figures in order to score cheap points at the expense of hard-working and honest police officers.”