Brutal robberies in Vienna: Police are looking for an escaped perpetrator!

Brutal robberies in Vienna: Police are looking for an escaped perpetrator!

A dramatic incident in Vienna continues to make headlines: a quartet of young people robbed two young men over the Easter weekend, specifically on April 20th and 21st. Both the 18-year-old and the 19-year-old were injured, some seriously. Manipulated social media profiles were used - the young people used so-called fake accounts to lure their victims to the meetings. Loud Pulse24 After initial contact, the two men were lured to public places in Leopoldstadt and Brigittenau.

The 18-year-old was surprised at the first meeting on April 20th at 4:30 p.m. in Leopoldstadt. The following day, the 19-year-old was hit in Brigittenau at around 7:45 p.m. The young people were already waiting and threatened the two men with violence by forcing them to withdraw money from the ATM. A brutal attack followed: both victims were attacked with punches and kicks, while the acts were filmed on cell phones. The attackers then fled in unknown directions.

Arrests and searches

The police have already arrested three of the four suspects. On May 11, a 16-year-old Serbian citizen was arrested, followed by two Austrians, aged 16 and 19, who were caught on May 14. The Vienna State Criminal Police Office is now searching for a fourth suspect using photo searches. The Vienna public prosecutor's office has published relevant mugshots and is asking the public for help: Any relevant information can be reported anonymously to any police station or by telephone at 01-31310-67800, as my district also reports.

The dimension of juvenile crime

If the drama of the crimes is reflected in the police statistics, this could be a further sign of the challenges with juvenile crime. This is often a phenomenon that primarily affects male young people, and statistically up to 70% of students commit delinquent acts like this in the last 12 months Federal Agency for Civic Education notes. The most common crimes are less serious, but violent crimes are even more noticeable.

There has been a decline in juvenile crime in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the topic remains explosive: the increase in acts of violence within this group is alarming. A preventative approach is considered more effective in addressing the causes rather than just the symptoms.

The brutal robberies in April also raise the question of how vulnerable young people are in the digital age and how easily they can fall into the clutches of criminals. Together with the law enforcement authorities, it is important to educate people about the dangers in social networks and to develop prevention strategies.