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Viennese woman defends herself against attack – perpetrator flees at the last second!
A Viennese woman was followed and sexually harassed at Matzleinsdorfer Platz. The suspect is officially known.
Viennese woman defends herself against attack – perpetrator flees at the last second!
On Friday afternoon, a 29-year-old Viennese woman was harassed by a man on Matzleinsdorfer Platz. At around 3 p.m., as she was on the way to the S-Bahn, the man pulled her from behind and tried to sexually harass her. The woman reacted quickly, screamed and fought back, which ultimately caused the suspect to flee Today reported. A passerby saw the incident but held back, saying he couldn't do anything even though he could have informed the police.
The suspect, an approximately 40-year-old African man between 1.80 and 1.90 meters tall, was later identified by the police as a known official. He had already accrued convictions for similar offenses in the past. Despite this history, he has been reported by the public prosecutor's office each time he is at large, which increases concerns about the dark number of such incidents - a circumstance that can also be seen in another statistic.
Growing problem of sexual assaults in Vienna
The harassment in Vienna is anything but an isolated case. This incident is part of a worrying development of sexual assaults in the Vienna baths. According to a report by MyDistrict There have already been 17 incidents this season, including five cases of sexual harassment. This makes it clear that women often have to be afraid in public spaces and that society should deal more intensively with this problem.
In view of these incidents, the Vienna FPÖ is calling for more police presence in outdoor pools in order to counteract the increasing number of attacks. Martin Kotinsky, press spokesman for Wiener Bäder, confirmed that such incidents occur regularly and that two MA 44 employees were physically attacked last season. The numbers are alarming: last year there were 36 police operations in 38 pools, showing that it is an ongoing problem.
In addition, a survey on violence against women shows that those affected are disproportionately often confronted with harassment and violence. Stalking, sexual harassment in the workplace and similar issues are serious societal challenges that the European Commission's Gender Equality Strategy aims to address.
It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether additional security measures will be taken in Vienna's baths to offer women more protection and reduce such incidents. Encouraging passers-by to take action if they witness such attacks could also help perpetrators be brought to justice more quickly.