A Somali asylum seeker has been sentenced to six years in prison for the brutal rape of a 14-year-old girl at a train station in Langenzersdorf, Lower Austria.
The Korneuburg Regional Court delivered the verdict after hearing harrowing details of the attack and rejecting the defendant’s attempts to downplay the crime.
As reported by Kronen Zeitung, the assault took place on the night of Aug. 7 when the victim was on her way home, talking to her mother on the phone. The defendant, who was intoxicated, approached her at the station. After she ignored his advances, he later claimed he “felt like he had to rape her.” He dragged the girl between two vehicles in the station’s parking lot and attacked her. After the assault, he demanded her phone and money before fleeing the scene, leaving the girl lying on the ground.
During the trial, the defendant shocked the courtroom with his grin and statement, “I couldn’t hold back,” which he offered as a justification for his actions. When questioned, he described himself as having been drunk and wanting to “get to know her.”
He later attempted to express remorse, telling the court, “Everyone makes mistakes.” However, the judge firmly dismissed this, stating: “You’re talking about a mistake, but these are two capital crimes. Your confession is not genuine; it only comes because of overwhelming evidence.”
DNA traces found on the victim and at the crime scene, combined with surveillance footage, conclusively tied him to the crime.
The migrant called the police himself and admitted to killing his sister to restore her honor but denies murder. https://t.co/n7FfGEAQxc
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) April 19, 2024Investigations uncovered that the defendant, who had been registered as a 17-year-old in Austria, had previously used seven different alias identities and birth years across various European countries. A forensic age analysis revealed he was at least 21 years old at the time of the attack, allowing him to be prosecuted as an adult under stricter laws.
The 14-year-old victim has been in therapy since the assault, working to process the emotional and psychological trauma. Her legal representatives stressed the severity of the attack, urging the court to impose the maximum sentence.
Germany: Somali migrant sexually assaults 10-year-old girl on train near Munich. https://t.co/VjvD8QSdPD
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) July 11, 2023“This girl’s life has been permanently scarred by what happened that night,” her counsel said. “The court must ensure that the defendant faces the full consequences of his actions.”
The court sentenced the Somali national to six years in prison and ordered him to pay €2,500 in compensation to the victim.
“I have to react here with a severe punishment,” said the presiding judge, although some credit was given for his partial confession.
The judgment is final, as the defendant accepted his sentence without appeal.
