Mother Not Cared For

56-Year-Old Son Was “Overwhelmed” by the Situation

The two defendants in court.(Bild: Markus Schütz)

A 56-year-old man is facing charges in the Linz Regional Court for allegedly severely neglecting his mother’s care. When the woman died in early 2025, she had festering wounds, was completely filthy, emaciated, and dehydrated. The man’s 72-year-old sister is also charged.

The mother (89) had been bedridden since early 2024, the prosecutor explained. Since then, her son, who lived with her, had not repositioned her or helped her sit up. After she developed a pressure ulcer (bedsore), he changed the doctor-prescribed dressings far too infrequently. When the mother died a year later, the extent of the neglect came to light: The deceased had purulent wounds, skin sloughing, severe soiling from excrement, and signs of dehydration. The house was littered with trash—a “classic hoarder’s home” with a mold problem. An expert report described the condition of her care as “catastrophic.”

,plagued by deep feelings of guiltThe prosecution accuses the primary defendant and his sister—who had last visited their mother two days before her death and, according to the prosecution, must have noticed her condition—of torturing and neglecting a defenseless person. If convicted, they face one to ten years in prison.

The man’s defense attorney said his client knew he had failed to meet the demands of caregiving and was “plagued by deep feelings of guilt.” According to an expert opinion, his mental capacity was severely impaired. “He is a person who meant well but was unable to do so.” His mother had been very domineering; “he was dependent on her and overwhelmed by the situation.” The 56-year-old pleaded guilty.

Schizoid Personality Disorder
The psychiatric expert Adelheid Kastner diagnosed him with schizoid personality disorder. He himself said he knew nothing about it. He said he had been unemployed “for at least 30 years” and had been living “off his parents”—specifically, in his parents’ home with his mother. He did not know who now owned the house.

The judge then attempted to clarify the details of his daily routine and caregiving responsibilities. When asked, the defendant explained that he had not washed his mother’s hair during the 14 months she was bedridden because she did not want him to. “How often do you wash your own hair?” the judge asked. “Once a year.” He described his mother as domineering. He had always done what she wanted—except when she told him to spend less time playing video games, he explained.

The sister’s attorney also pointed to the “dominance” of the mother and the father—who had died some time ago—as well as the brother’s mental state, explaining that this was why there had been virtually no communication.