Seven teenagers, aged between 14 and 17, who according to the Austrian public prosecutor’s office abused and blackmailed their teacher for months and finally set her house on fire, are now on trial in Vienna. The three main defendants are in pre-trial detention. The young people hail from from Iraq, Romania, and Afghanistan.
As we reported, the story began in 2024, when the 29-year-old teacher began a consensual sexual relationship with a former student, whose friends then began the months-long harassment. The teacher has reportedly since regretted this and said, “It was the biggest mistake of my life.”
In a video interview recorded in the courtroom, the teacher stated that the group intimidated her by claiming to be members of a gang of 70-80 people.
A psychiatric evaluation diagnosed the teacher with chronic depression and post-traumatic stress syndrome, the latter being classified as “equivalent to serious bodily harm.” The defendants deny the violence or that they were part of a criminal organization, but admit to other crimes.
The sentencing hearing in scheduled for Monday, October 20th.
