Terror Attack Plans in Vienna: Two Years Partially Suspended for Teenager

Eight months were pronounced as unconditional. The youth received 16 months on probation with a three-year probation period. This means that the 15-year-old would have to remain in prison until early October to serve the unconditional part of the sentence, taking into account pre-trial detention, unless he is conditionally released early. Whether he will benefit from this legal leniency is to be examined by the regional court ex officio.

By order, the youth was also required by the jury to prove employment after his release. "Those who are tired from working have less time for nonsense in the evening," explained the presiding judge. Additionally, probation assistance was ordered.

The verdict is not final. While the 15-year-old accepted the decision after consulting with his legal representative and his parents present in the courtroom, the prosecutor initially made no statement.

The defendant confessed to the terror charges during the trial. "I always own up to my mistakes," said the physically slight 15-year-old, who answered the presiding judge's questions with shoulder-length black hair and a light blue shirt. He had waited in the consultation room accompanied by several heavily armed members of the Justice Guard Task Force (JEG) for the start of the trial to avoid a large gathering of media representatives who had assembled outside the courtroom.

Prosecutor in Vienna Detected "Very, Very High Willingness to Use Violence"

The prosecutor attested the 15-year-old a "very, very high willingness to use violence." He wanted to cause a "bloodbath." The defendant is "very small, very slight, very young. But IS uses exactly such individuals." The terrorist organization tries to "specifically encourage young people in Europe to carry out attacks."

"My client is not a monster," countered defense attorney Anna Mair. He had "slipped" because he felt misunderstood, was bullied at school because of his faith, and had no one to talk to. From IS representatives he encountered on the internet, he received "help, knowledge, support, friendship" and was "instrumentalized": "This care fell on fertile ground. Unfortunately."

The then 14-year-old, whose parents are not devout Muslims, had become radicalized over TikTok last summer. The prosecutor referred to this as a "sad example of online radicalization, as it is written in the book." The student listened to sermons by well-known IS representatives - including the German Salafist Pierre Vogel - and consumed a large amount of propaganda material from the terrorist militia in a short time, which he also forwarded.

Student Ordered Firearm After Bullying Experiences in Fall 2024

After turning to IS and finding a bomb-making guide on the internet, making handwritten notes, the boy ordered a firearm from a German online marketplace in November 2024. According to the 15-year-old's account, the attack plans were preceded by bullying experiences at school. The boy was reportedly teased as the smallest in the class and locked in the toilet. When he prayed at school, he was photographed by classmates and allegedly mocked. A teacher reportedly referred to the Prophet Mohammed as "illiterate" in his presence, leading the defendant to want to own a Glock 17 or a Glock 19. "Fortunately, it was not delivered," the prosecutor stated in this context.

Subsequently, the defendant changed his original plan in January. He then thought of snatching a service weapon from a police officer and stabbing the officer with a knife. According to the indictment, the student had several combat knives at home, which apparently was not a difficult task to obtain. With the weapon of the killed police officer, the boy allegedly intended to kill passersby or non-believers.

"Plan A" Involved Stabbing a Police Officer

The 15-year-old confirmed this in his defendant's interrogation. That was "Plan A": "I wanted to stab a police officer and take his weapon. I drew where that could be." He intended to "do it in my neighborhood." In this context, the defendant mentioned a specific police station "around the corner from me."

From Late January, Vienna Westbahnhof "Primary Attack Target"

The student moved away from this plan after coming into contact with a known IS contact person, whose identity has not yet been determined, through a relevant chat in the second half of January. From that point on, the Westbahnhof became the "primary attack target," the prosecutor noted.

The prosecutor portrayed the teenager as an immensely dangerous and violence-prone IS fanatic. He spoke of a "devastating overall picture" that the accused presented.

"I'm glad I didn't do it"

"It was a very big mistake," the accused said about the attack plans. When asked by the judge if he was willing to die for his plans, the 15-year-old replied: "I was not willing. I didn't have the courage. I'm glad I didn't do it."

The student was arrested on February 10 in the parental apartment in Währing after cross-border investigations. Defense attorney Anna Mair welcomed this in her opening statement. This way, her client had moved away from his "hatred of everything" and the "spiral" he had been in. According to the indictment, the 15-year-old had confirmed to the still-to-be-identified IS representative a few days before his arrest that he would carry out the attack in the summer. "He didn't want to implement it immediately. Only in the summer. He was too cowardly," Mair said about it.

The boy had adopted the ideology of IS since August 2024. After obtaining plans for making explosives and bombs on the internet, he purchased the necessary items from a hardware store and consumed online tutorials to learn more about the production of explosive substances.

Indictment includes a series of terrorist offenses

The 15-year-old was primarily charged with the preparation of a terrorist offense - namely a crime with explosives - under § 278c StGB, terrorist association, attempted training for terrorist purposes, instruction for committing a terrorist offense, and the crime of a criminal organization.

(APA/Red)

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