“This case is shocking and shows how quickly a life can be destroyed,” says Salzburg defense attorney Magdalena Rauter (Law firm Pallauf, Meißnitzer, Staindl & Partner). A 15-year-old girl from Upper Carinthia was sentenced to six months’ suspended imprisonment on Tuesday at the Klagenfurt Regional Court for the crime of defamation and the offense of giving false evidence. The verdict is not final. The teenager had accused a 24-year-old man from Salzburg of raping her in a car in January 2023 at gunpoint with a folding knife.
A nightmare began for the young man from Lungau: a few days before Christmas, the worker was arrested at his home address. Seven police officers arrived early in the morning and a house search was carried out. “Of course, the whole town knew about it immediately,” says his defense attorney. The accusation: rape. The 24-year-old was taken into custody. He was held behind bars for 13 days over the Christmas holidays. He was transferred to Klagenfurt prison three times for his own safety. The girl initially stuck to her version of the rape.
Fought for her client: Lawyer Magdalena Rauter © Rauter/KK
Surprising twist
Then the case took a surprising turn and the alleged perpetrator became the real victim. The investigation against the young man from Salzburg was closed a few weeks ago. The 15-year-old finally admitted to having lied. In court on Tuesday she stated that she had been overwhelmed and frustrated with her life at the time. That was why she lied. She had met the 24-year-old on Snapchat, but then no longer wanted to have contact with him. She did not know how else to get rid of him. She had not considered the consequences of her serious accusations. Incidentally, the teenager pretended to be older on her Facebook profile.
Despite her clean record, the judge sentenced the 15-year-old to a suspended prison sentence. She must also bear the costs of the criminal proceedings. In addition, the 24-year-old was awarded partial compensation as a victim of a crime. “We are also demanding compensation for the material and immaterial damage,” says Rauter. “My client has now received justice, but he is still suffering from the consequences of this massive accusation and the associated damage to his reputation, which cannot be easily remedied.”
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