Austria has been left angry after the Vienna Regional Court acquitted ten young men, most of them from a migrant background, who were charged with sexual acts with a 12-year-old girl. The decision has triggered outrage among politicians, journalists, and citizens. Now both the victim’s mother and lawyer are speaking out.
Ten defendants, aged 16 to 21, faced charges of violating sexual self-determination and, in two cases, sexual coercion. Initially, aggravated sexual abuse of minors was also on the table, but this was dropped after the judges assumed that the accused had not recognized Anna’s age.
The 12-year-old girl made a statement in court on being gang raped and abused by her attackers. Shockingly, the judges said Anna’s testimony was contradictory, and not credible enough to prove guilt. It appeared that the court never accounted for the difficulty that such a young and abused person would go through in order to recount the events. The defendants were given the benefit of the doubt, leaving the courtroom with grins and “thumbs up” gestures.
Journalist Conny Bischofberger of Kronen Zeitung called the verdict a “mockery of the victim” and a “catastrophic signal.” Particularly offensive, she wrote, was the defendants’ triumphant behavior after the acquittal.
Sascha Flatz, lawyer for Anna, expressed shock about the court’s decision:
The family and I are shocked by the verdict. We cannot understand why the child’s statements were not believed during the interrogation.
Highlighting her age, he said: “We’re talking about a twelve-year-old child here,” which is something the court never fully accounted for. Her difficulty to recount the events and inconsistent statements are more likely to stem from her age and the tragic abuse, rather than deliberate lies. The lawyer warned that the ruling sends a disastrous message:
This ruling sends a fatal signal to the outside world.
Anna’s mother has also spoken out. For her, the court decision represents a second trauma and the mother now questions if the state and the court system actually defends victims and children or they let rapists walk free.
FPÖ chairman Herbert Kickl said:
For me, this case demonstrates once again the damage caused by uncontrolled mass immigration.
“Something is seriously wrong in this country—especially when young girls are no longer protected,” he added.
The acquittal has unleashed anger across politics, media, and society. On social media, Austrian women are demanding tougher laws, consistent child protection, and a clear message against perpetrators.
Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner (ÖVP) spoke of a judicial scandal, writing:
Children and young people are a particularly vulnerable part of our society because they often cannot protect themselves …These acquittals also send a fatal signal of false tolerance in such cases.
Amid the uproar, Justice Minister Anna Sporrer (SPÖ) announced plans to reform criminal law on sexual offences. While generally refraining from commenting on court decisions, she said she “fully understands the great concern and public interest in this case.”
For Anna’s lawyer, her mother, and countless others, the verdict is more than just a judicial decision, it is a failure of the system. Their demand is united: child protection must never be sacrificed to what many call false tolerance.
