Austria reacts: After the killing spree - weapons law should be tightened!

Austria reacts: After the killing spree - weapons law should be tightened!

After the devastating killing spree at a school in Graz, in which a 21-year-old Austrian shot nine young people and a teacher with a legally acquired pistol and a sawn-off shotgun on Tuesday, the Austrian government moves towards a comprehensive revision of the gun right. In an interview with ORF radio, Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) announced that various measures are being considered to prevent similar tragedies in the future. This includes, among other things, the upset of the minimum age for arms buyers and the tightening of the psychological tests for the granting of a gun ownership card. A corresponding package of measures is to be decided next week, so Radio Hochstift .

It is particularly alarming that, despite his psychological instability, the perpetrator legally acquired both the pistol he used for the killing spree and the shotgun. A psychological report was mandatory for the Glock 19 pistol, which the perpetrator successfully passed in March and received its gun ownership in May. However, critics criticize the efficiency of the current system, since the gunman was still able to acquire weapons after his negative experiences in the 2021 pattern. At the tests in a shooting club, he noticed negatively, which only increases the questions about the thoroughness of the psychological assessments. As from research by Puls 24 is currently unclear whether the psychologists issued, also questioned about the given standards.

The role of the psychological reports

The psychological reports on the weapon allocation must be created by tested psychologists in order to check the so -called "weapon negligence". The tests usually last between one and two hours and include various personality tests and a personal conversation, but the implementation of which is not necessarily prescribed. In many cases there are even reports on group tests, which is not legally excluded. MWPP emphasizes that references to mental illnesses or criminal convictions generally lead to a negative report. In addition, stricter requirements have to be met at night tests. Critics demand that psychological reports should be repeated every five years in order to consider any changes in the psychological stability of the people.

Despite the previous regulations, the discussion about weapons law in Austria remains highly topical in view of the recent events. The Greens have already asked for a review of the existing tests to ensure that future reports will be made more strict and comprehensive. It is also emphasized that social isolation or bullying should not automatically lead to exclusion in the positive report. It remains to be seen which measures are ultimately decided and whether they can actually lead to an improvement in security.