Bomb Threat: Trial Against Teenager in Upper Austria

On Tuesday, a 14-year-old at the time of the crime will stand trial in Wels. She is accused of sending a bomb threat via email to a school she attended in the Urfahr-Umgebung district. According to the indictment, a prison sentence of up to 2.5 years is threatened, with the Juvenile Court Act being applied. In May of this year, the accused, together with an acquaintance, allegedly drafted a letter to the school.

Accused of Resistance Against State Authority

In the name of the "Islamic State," it was announced that a bomb would explode at 11:00 a.m. the following day. She is accused of the crime of resistance against state authority, as she allegedly attempted to prevent and coerce officials - referring to the school's staff - from performing their duties, as a court spokesperson explained. The initially involved acquaintance has already "withdrawn from criminal responsibility" and therefore does not have to face trial.

Numerous Bomb Threats Since May 2024

Since May of last year, numerous bomb threats have been received at schools, train stations, and other public facilities in Austria. They triggered large-scale police operations and evacuations. A Swiss citizen was long the only suspect. However, at the end of November, four partly underage suspects in Germany were also identified and raids were conducted. This group is said to have sent more than 300 threatening letters in Austria. The suspects are part of the so-called swatting scene, which organizes itself in online forums and chats and aims for maximum media attention through deliberately false emergencies.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.