Married to Swift Attacker: 18-Year-Old Sentenced in Vienna

On Wednesday, an 18-year-old was sentenced to 18 months of suspended imprisonment at the Vienna Regional Court for terrorist association and criminal organization. She had married the thwarted Swift attacker under Islamic law and offered herself to him as a "slave" when her older brother objected to the marriage. Until his arrest at the end of July 2024, the accused Beran A. was at his service, the prosecutor described.

Terror Trial Against Partner of Thwarted Swift Attacker

The woman had encouraged him in his radical Islamic thinking, according to the accusation. A jury sentenced the comprehensively confessing young woman to 18 months of imprisonment for terrorist association and criminal organization. The sentence was conditionally suspended for the previously unblemished woman with a three-year probation period. By directive, she was instructed to continue participating in a deradicalization program, which she has been voluntarily attending since last June. She must also undergo psychotherapy and specialized psychiatric treatment. Additionally, probation assistance was ordered. The verdict is already final.

Defense Attorney: "She Jumped on the Wrong Train"

The accused moved with her family from Germany to Vienna at the age of twelve. "She was never able to settle here," her defense attorney explained. The girl had hardly any social contacts and sought and found solace in religion: "She jumped on the wrong train." Through Snapchat and TikTok, the teenager came into contact with supporters of the radical Islamic terror militia "Islamic State" (IS).

"She was easily influenced," the prosecutor conceded to the accused, who is proven to suffer from depression and a stress disorder. She had fallen into a radical environment "in a difficult phase of self-discovery" and allowed herself to be "indoctrinated for IS." The fact that her older brother was sympathetic to IS made it easier for the teenager to access relevant propaganda material.

18-Year-Old Offered Herself as a Slave

In the spring of 2024, the then 17-year-old met Beran A., who made headlines almost two months later because the Directorate of State Protection and Intelligence (DSN) thwarted the 20-year-old's alleged attack plans against a concert by US pop star Taylor Swift, planned for early August at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium, and was able to arrest the suspect. Since then, Beran A. has been in pre-trial detention in Vienna. The investigations by the Vienna prosecution against the suspected IS terrorist are not yet concluded.

On June 3, 2024, Beran A. and the girl married under Islamic law. As the prosecutor explained, the older brother of the young woman opposed the marriage, citing his position as her "guardian." "To maintain the relationship with Beran A., she offered to become his slave," the prosecutor described. Both Beran A. and the brother agreed to this: "She continued the relationship until July 29." On that day, the thwarted Swift attacker was arrested.

As chat evaluations of the couple showed, the accused and Beran A. had actively exchanged views on IS and its corresponding ideology, reinforcing each other's views and values. The focus was particularly on the killing of so-called infidels.

No Involvement in Concrete Attack Plans

It was not provable that the accused knew of her partner's terrorist intentions. The presiding judge emphasized this in the reasoning of the verdict. The now 18-year-old was indeed "deeply involved in the matter," but according to the investigation results, she was not involved in attack plans. She had also declared the relationship ended after her partner's arrest.

However, the then 17-year-old did not yet renounce IS. As later revealed during a court-approved house search, she acquired books with Salafist content, continued to obtain IS propaganda material, and sent a video via WhatsApp at the end of February with a nasheed (hymn, note) glorifying the fight against infidels.

The activities of the young woman came to light following the evaluation of the confiscated phones of the imprisoned Beran A. In early March, she was taken into pre-trial detention for two months. "That was a significant and difficult time for her," noted the defense attorney. Not least due to the experience of detention, a deradicalization process began for her client.

18-Year-Old Confesses, but Remains Taciturn

"I plead guilty," the accused declared at the beginning of the trial, "I regret that I did those things." She did not provide any details about the matter itself. She exercised her right to remain silent and did not answer any questions about the incriminated events.

(APA/Red)

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