Friends: Serial Offenders?

Diversion for a young man from Wels who kidnapped a chicken

The young defendant got off scot-free.(Bild: C. Handl, Krone KREATIV)

They may have found it funny, but the chicken probably didn’t: Last year, three teenagers kidnapped a chicken, held it out the car window while driving at full speed, and forced it to drink beer. An 18-year-old received a diversion on Tuesday. His accomplices, who are believed to be repeat offenders, are still awaiting trial.

They “thought it was funny” at the time—but today he knows that “it wasn’t a good idea, and it should never happen again.” An 18-year-old from Wels (Upper Austria) appeared in the local regional court on Tuesday to answer charges of animal cruelty and property damage that he had committed, along with friends, between July and October 2025 not far from Wels.

Friends as Serial Offenders
In addition to damaged street signs and a bicycle thrown into the Traun River, he had stuffed a chicken into a sack in June and taken it with him in the car. Two friends were with him; they are being prosecuted separately because they are alleged to have abducted and mistreated a second chicken. Although they were summoned as witnesses, they were not called to testify.

Community Service and Therapy
Apparently, they wanted to calm the animal—which had been startled by loud music—by forcing it to drink beer and holding it out the window while the car was moving at full speed—all captured on video. The thin, pale boy confessed and promised to mend his ways: Due to mental instability, he said he wanted to undergo inpatient therapy and distance himself from his “friends.” Diversion: After 40 hours of community service, his case will be dismissed.