Sex-Related Death Reconstructed

Medical examiners must reconstruct gruesome sex-related death

The Marchtrenk Police and the State Criminal Police Office are investigating this gruesome case involving the death of a 40-year-old woman.(Bild: Matthias Lauber/laumat.at)

What did the husband do to his wife that caused her to bleed to death during brutal sex? The medical examiner must now answer this question, as many details regarding the alleged abuse remain unclear. The 50-year-old man is sticking to his story for now, but he also failed to call for help for his dying wife.

Investigators and the judiciary are shocked by the brutality evident in this case. However, it appears certain that no sharp or pointed objects were used during the brutal “sex game.” The preliminary autopsy report indicates multiple instances of blunt force trauma to the abdomen and genital area. “A woman’s body can withstand a great deal; it’s hard to imagine what must have happened to cause such injuries,” say even veteran investigators and prosecutors, who are horrified.

Man Did Not Call for Help
At first, it was completely unclear what had happened on June 26 in the townhouse on the outskirts of Marchtrenk. A relative had discovered the 40-year-old woman bleeding heavily; her husband, who was ten years her senior, was also in the apartment but had not called for an ambulance himself—even though, as he later admitted, he was present when the “accident” occurred.

She bled out quickly
The injuries—both external and internal—were so severe that the ambulance crew could do nothing to save the 40-year-old. She bled to death in his apartment. Whether any objects were used during the “sex game,” and if so, which ones, remains unclear—here, too, the medical examiner must reconstruct the events. Death occurred rapidly after a major blood vessel was severed; she bled to death within minutes. Therefore, saving her life was no longer possible.

Blood test results are still pending
The autopsy was also the decisive factor in the arrest of the 50-year-old man—who had no prior criminal record—on July 2 at the request of the district attorney’s office. He is suspected of sexually assaulting a defenseless person, as the 40-year-old woman is said to have been severely intoxicated and therefore defenseless. The results of the blood alcohol test are still pending. The 50-year-old also claims to have been drunk at the time of the incident; he describes it as an accident, but his account of the events does not match the pattern of his wife’s injuries.

Get help!

The police are the point of contact for people who witness violence or are victims of violence themselves. The police emergency hotline can be reached at any time by dialing 133.

Other resources:

In Austria, women experiencing violence can find help and information here, among other places:

• the Women’s Helpline at: 0800-222-555, www.frauenhelpline.at
• from the Association of Autonomous Austrian Women’s Shelters (AÖF) at www.aoef.at
• the Women’s Shelter Emergency Hotline at 057722
• the Austrian Violence Prevention Centers: 0800/700-217, www.gewaltschutzzentrum.at

He will be brought before the magistrate again on Wednesday. So far, the defendant has made no further statements. If convicted, the Marchtrenk resident faces a prison sentence similar to that for murder. However, it is not necessary to prove that he intended to kill. In cases of sexual abuse resulting in death, negligence alone is sufficient to warrant a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.