Attack: First trial against the republic

Four people were killed by the 20-year-old assassin in the attack on November 2 in downtown Vienna, including a 24-year-old art student from Germany. The woman was working as a waitress in a restaurant near Schwedenplatz when the assassin opened fire. She was shot in the pub garden.

The big question in the process is now: Did the authorities do everything in advance to minimize the risk of a terrorist attack? No, says lawyer Norbert Wess, who represents the mother of the art student who was killed. “It is really the wish of the victim family that the Republic of Austria simply takes responsibility here,” says Wess in the Ö1 morning journal.

Authorities were busy with “Operation Ramses”

A commission of experts headed by Ingeborg Zerbes, professor of criminal law, has already pointed out a number of grievances. The authorities knew of an attempted purchase of ammunition by the later terrorist – and of a meeting with extremists from Germany. “You certainly cannot say in criminal law that an individual is to blame for killing others. But: The fact that the state has not done everything to reduce risk could be an issue for public liability, ”Zerbes said.

At the time of the crime, the authorities were also engaged in the so-called “Operation Ramses”, a large-scale blow against the Muslim Brotherhood. In this way they would have lost sight of the real danger, criticized extremism researcher Daniela Pisoiu from the Institute for International Politics in an Ö1 interview: “You can see, for example, that a conversation with the future terrorist has been postponed because you have these resources needed Ramses for the major operation. “

Family demands 125,000 euros

The victims have claims for damages and legal assistance and the like. That is by far not enough, believes lawyer Wess. Just transferring the body of the 24-year-old student from Austria to Germany would have cost around 8,000 euros: “If the Republic of Austria says we can only cover part of these costs of 3,800 euros, that’s not what it is the mother of the deceased was expecting. ”In total, the current process is about 125,000 euros in compensation for pain and suffering, funeral and travel expenses for the family of the student who was killed.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) refers to a separate compensation fund, which is still being worked out and also belongs to the Ministry of Social Affairs. He himself is also ready for face-to-face meetings: “I have always made the offer that I am always available to the victims’ relatives who naturally feel the need to speak to me.” However, he did not want to give the impression that he impose.

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