Sexual Assault

Former Bailiff Receives Ten-Month Suspended Sentence

The verdict of the Ried Regional Court is not final(Bild: Kerschbaummayr Werner)

 A former bailiff was sentenced Wednesday at the Ried Regional Court to ten months’ suspended imprisonment for a sexual assault committed while on duty. The conviction was based on a violation of sexual autonomy. He was acquitted of other charges of coercion and sexual harassment. The verdict is not yet final.

In April 2025, the man, now 48, is alleged to have coerced a woman into sexual acts during a debt collection proceeding by taking advantage of her vulnerable situation. According to the indictment, the year before that, he allegedly forced three other women into unwanted kisses, groped them, and demanded sexual favors in exchange for not carrying out executions. The man’s employment was terminated after the allegations came to light.

Defendant Cited a Conspiracy and Misunderstandings
The defendant had denied the allegations and suggested that they were the result of a conspiracy or misunderstandings. One of the victims had described how—when she was unable to pay—he had said to her: “There are other ways to resolve this.” The man defended himself by saying that was not meant in a sexual way. He attempted to explain the DNA traces found all over one victim’s body by claiming he had coughed.

Found Guilty in Only One Case
The defendant was ultimately found guilty in only one case. The victim was awarded partial compensation for pain and suffering in the amount of 900 euros. During the trial, another victim came forward, so further investigations into sexual assault are still underway against the former bailiff.

Verdict Not Final
The court considered the defendant’s clean criminal record a mitigating factor, while the fact that the offense was committed while he was a public official was viewed as an aggravating factor. The former bailiff requested time to consider the verdict; the prosecution made no statement. The verdict is therefore not final.