A 23-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison on Wednesday for a brutal attack on a woman in her own home near Graz. Eight men were originally accused, but after various convictions only one remained. He initially fled to Brazil, but returned voluntarily and turned himself in. During the attack in December 2022, a 55-year-old woman was tied up and robbed.
One of the already convicted people (57) did work in the house and garden for the later victim. He also built a hiding place in the rabbit hutch, from which coins worth almost 800,000 euros were stolen during the raid. The prosecution assumed that the man and his son (28) had passed on the information about the hiding place.
Three other men – including the 23-year-old defendant – are said to have entered the house with the help of a counterfeit key and tied up the woman and threatened her in order to find out the code to her safe. But in the excitement she couldn’t remember, so the men just took him away. Inside there was said to be 35,000 euros. The robbers are also said to have taken a bracelet worth 33,000 euros and the coins from the rabbit hutch.
Two friends initially gave the 23-year-old a false alibi, so he remained at large and was able to escape to Brazil. Although there was an international arrest warrant, it would not have been executed in Brazil, as one of the investigators stated as a witness.
“It was my own decision to come back,” emphasized the accused. “He confessed fully,” said public prosecutor Daniel Weinberger to his credit. Defender Gregor Kohlbacher attributed the return to a “comprehensive reflection process” in Brazil.
The 23-year-old portrayed the attack as rather harmless; according to him, the woman was tied up, but her mouth was not taped. She was also able to free herself and go to the neighbor, who called the police.
The jury (chaired by Kornelia Philipp) found the defendant guilty on all three counts and imposed an unconditional sentence of four years. The judgment is not final.
2023-11-29 16:02:03
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