Prison Sentence and Commitment for "Fire Devil" in Vienna

On the night of June 14, 2025, the man set fires in several places in his apartment on Lerchenfelder Gürtel. He then left the building. While the Vienna professional fire brigade fought the flames that had broken out in the multi-story building, the 46-year-old watched the firefighting efforts from a nearby park bench.

Neighbor of "Arsonist" Prevents Worse

The fact that there was no major fire, no one was harmed, and the financial damage was limited to several tens of thousands of euros was thanks to the man's direct neighbor. The woman woke up shortly after 5:00 a.m., smelled smoke, immediately notified the fire department, and rushed outside with her two small children. The rapid firefighting prevented the fire from spreading to adjacent apartments or the stairwell.

"I wouldn't think of something like this when sober," the defendant assured a jury (Chair: Julia Nagy). He had come home after a night of heavy drinking, sat in front of the computer, and smoked a cigarette: "Then I just kept thinking 'Ignite! Ignite! Ignite!' I can't get away from it, it's catastrophic." He had set fire to his bed, a cupboard, and the curtain: "Somehow the film played out in such a way that I was watching myself set my apartment on fire. I didn't think about the neighbor, which I really regret."

"Arsonist" in Court: "Don't Think I'm a Pyromaniac"

When asked why, the defendant answered: "Even if no one believes me, I don't think I'm a pyromaniac. As soon as it burns, I get scared. Then I have to get out." At the time of the crime, he had a blood alcohol level of 1.55 per mille.

According to his criminal record, the man has repeatedly appeared as an arsonist since 2008. He already has three relevant convictions, and he was placed in so-called forensic centers twice because psychiatric experts diagnosed him with a severe personality disorder and warned of the danger that this could lead to further arson. After serving a four-year prison sentence, the man was last released from compulsory detention in 2022. A psychiatrist no longer considered him highly dangerous, so the conditions for further detention of the man, who is essentially accountable, under Section 21 paragraph 2 of the Penal Code were no longer met.

"Need to find out what I'm doing and why I'm doing it"

The defendant complied with all the conditions linked to his release. He attended psychotherapy, received psychiatric treatment, maintained contact with his probation officer, and even found a job despite his criminal record. Nevertheless, he relapsed and set fire again. "Will we be sitting here again in ten years?" the presiding judge bluntly asked the 46-year-old. "I need to find out what I'm doing and why I'm doing it," he replied.

The newly appointed psychiatric expert diagnosed the man in his mid-forties with a severe borderline disorder. The expert identified "destructive impulses" and "self-destructive behavior." He strongly advocated for renewed placement in a treatment facility in the event of a conviction. Only in this way could the danger posed by the man to his environment be controlled. The 46-year-old agreed with this assessment. His disorder needs to be "sufficiently treated so that placement is no longer necessary," he said.

The court ordered - unsurprisingly - in addition to the seven-year prison sentence, the admission to a forensic-therapeutic center. Neither defense attorney Anita Schattner nor the prosecutor had any objections, and they accepted the verdict.

(APA/Red)

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