Trial for Rape at Villach Church Day Postponed

The 22-year-old was working as a laborer setting up the Villach Church Day and was living in a residential container. There, he and colleagues met a group of girls, including a 14-year-old. The prosecution accuses him of forcing the girl into oral sex. However, the defendant and his lawyer claim it was consensual.

Defendant in Villach Church Day Rape Trial Pleads Not Guilty

The two could not communicate directly, a colleague of the defendant translated. The defendant, who was brought in from pre-trial detention, said he could not converse with the victim in the residential container. He also stated that he was married and had a child. "Bullshit," commented one of the girls who was with the 14-year-old at the container. The defendant had said he was 18 years old, and the age of the girls was not a topic before the incident. The victim herself, currently in a boarding school in Nigeria and connected via video, told the court that she resisted. Only when a colleague of the defendant opened the door to the room was she able to escape. However, the defense insisted that the door was always open. The colleague who was supposed to have opened the door could not be questioned on Thursday, so the trial was adjourned. The 14-year-old joined the criminal proceedings as a private party with a claim for damages of 2,000 euros. The defendant faces up to ten years in prison if convicted.

If you are affected by sexual violence or know someone who is, you can contact the "Federation of Autonomous Women's Counseling Centers for Sexual Violence." You can find the specialist center near you at https://www.sexuellegewalt.at/. In Carinthia, you can contact the Belladonna Women's Counseling, Tel.: 0463/511248.

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