After a serious act of violence against a 62-year-old woman in Vienna-Hernals on Friday morning, the police are investigating the 66-year-old husband on suspicion of murder. The Austrian is said to have beaten the woman to death with a wooden stick on the loggia of an apartment in an apartment building. Several people witnessed the crime and alerted the police. However, an emergency doctor was unable to do anything for the victim. The 66-year-old was arrested.
Witnesses called police
The woman drew attention to herself by screaming on Friday morning. Several people heard the cries for help and some may even have observed how the man attacked the 62-year-old with a stick on the loggia of the apartment on Balderichgasse. They then made an emergency call. When the police arrived at the apartment around 9:40 a.m., the Austrian opened the door himself.
The professional rescue team tried to resuscitate the woman. “However, there was nothing more we could do for them,” said an APA spokesman. It was said that the 62-year-old succumbed to her massive injuries at the scene. The suspect allowed himself to be arrested without resistance.
Investigations are ongoing
Details about the specific type of murder weapon were not yet available on Friday. Whether the man was already officially known is still the subject of the investigation, as spokesman Mattias Schuster explained in response to an APA request. In any case, the suspect should be questioned as soon as possible, said Schuster. The crime scene work was still in progress in the afternoon, and the man’s questioning was still pending. The State Criminal Police Office, West branch, is investigating.
According to current figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office, there were 22 murders of women by men this year – including the most recent case. In contrast, there are 23 homicides according to Section 75 of the Criminal Code (murder) in 2023, as the Federal Criminal Police Office announced in response to an APA request.
