A 26-year-old Afghan man entrusted with caring for an elderly woman suffering from dementia has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a Vienna jury after sexually assaulting the helpless 82-year-old in her Austrian home.

The abuse was uncovered after the victim’s family installed surveillance cameras in her apartment out of concern for her safety.

According to the case heard at the Vienna Regional Court, the man was employed to support the woman in her daily life. Instead, prosecutors said, he exploited her advanced Alzheimer’s disease and sexually assaulted her while she was unable to comprehend what was happening.

As reported by Krone, footage from Sept.18, 2025, showed the attack, which the woman’s son discovered after reviewing recordings on his mobile phone.

The defendant confessed during proceedings, telling the court, “I’m sorry. I was just so stupid. I didn’t understand it myself at the time.”

During the court hearing, the defendant said, as cited by Der Standard, “The victim is as old as my grandmother,” to which the presiding judge replied, “You wouldn’t show your penis to your grandmother, would you?”

“No, of course not,” the migrant responded.

Prosecutors argued that due to the severity of the woman’s dementia, she was incapable of understanding or consenting to any sexual act.

Because of her condition, the victim did not testify. Instead, her daughter-in-law gave evidence describing the impact the assault had on the victim.

“You always think something like this changes a young person’s life, but it also changes the lives of older people,” she told the court. “She changed completely. She was a very cheerful woman. Her cheerfulness vanished. It ate her up inside. She just sat there and cried,” she added.

The witness revealed that the woman’s dementia had since progressed further, adding, “At least now she forgets it occasionally.”

In delivering the custodial sentence, the presiding judge described the crime as showing “a disturbed sexual behavior that is in no way comprehensible,” and spoke of a “high degree of reprehensibility.”

In addition to the prison term, the Afghan abuser must also pay the victim €3,000 in damages. The verdict is already legally binding and thus not subject to appeal.