Viennese SOS worker sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for abusing children!

Viennese SOS worker sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for abusing children!

An uproar that is rippling through the Viennese justice system and society: a former social worker at the SOS Children's Village has to answer for his terrible actions. MyDistrict reports on a judgment that was made in October 2024 and which has now been confirmed by the Vienna Higher Regional Court (OLG).

The 50-year-old, who worked as an employee of an SOS Children's Village in Vienna, was sentenced to two and a half years of unconditional imprisonment. He was accused of sexually abusing two underage children. The terrible acts occurred between March 2021 and summer 2022. What is particularly frightening is that 14 attacks were committed on one of the boys. The social worker was the carer of one of his victims and shamelessly exploited his position of authority.

The appeal process and its consequences

During the appeal process, the man objected to the verdict, but the Higher Regional Court rejected this. The judges took into account a variety of aggravating factors, including the amount and seriousness of the offenses. Reports from Austria emphasize that the defendant insisted on his presumption of innocence and claimed that the young people had sought contact with him. Nevertheless, the court agreed with the prosecution's argument, which ruled out reducing the sentence in order to send a clear signal against such behavior.

The defense attorney tried to get the sentence reduced, arguing that “no consequential damages were caused.” But the court saw it differently: the acts were classified as serious and, because they were repeated, particularly despicable.

Legal consequences and outlook

The verdict is now final and the criminal law for the alleged offenses ranges from six months to five years in prison. The compensation to the victims also remained unaffected, and the defendant received an indefinite ban on working in his previous profession. However, the defendant's normal lifestyle up to the incidents and his psychological disorder were seen as mitigating factors. But even that cannot diminish the significance of his actions.

Vienna now faces the challenge of supporting the victims and ensuring that such atrocities are not repeated in the future. The debate about the protection of children in institutions and the vetting of carers is more relevant than ever. This case highlights the importance of being vigilant and consistently punishing abuse.