Drama in Vienna: Six-year-old decodes SOS hand signals – kidnapping?

Drama in Vienna: Six-year-old decodes SOS hand signals – kidnapping?

An incident that caused a stir in Vienna-Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus on Sunday evening puts the problem of domestic violence back on the agenda. At around 7:30 p.m. there was a traffic accident in a parking garage near a shopping center, which not only affected material property, but also revealed serious dangers for a family. The main protagonist, a 39-year-old Iraqi, did not have a valid driver's license and was noticed by his restless behavior, which ultimately brought the police to the scene. It was the actions of a little girl that turned this drama around.

The supposed accident report turned out to be a cry for help from a six-year-old girl who showed officers the international SOS hand signal. This led to the police making a shocking discovery: in the vehicle, alongside the girl, was her crying mother and an infant. The 34-year-old desperately pleaded for help and revealed that she and her children had been forced to take a ride by the man who threatened with a knife. The suspicion that this was much more than a simple traffic accident quickly became confirmed.

Family in danger

When the vehicle was searched, not only the two children were found, but also three knives, one of which was in the stroller. The suspect denied forcing his ex-wife to get into the car while she was getting a restraining order against him citing previous violent crimes. It is alarming that many women still have to live in such a threatening situation. According to statistics, an alarming number of women experience violence, especially in intimate relationships. A 2021 survey by Eurostat and the Federal Chancellery shows that violence against women is not an isolated case, but a widespread problem.

The police, who reacted quickly due to the man's unusual behavior and the girl's SOS hand signal, placed the Iraqi in a prison on the orders of the Vienna public prosecutor's office. While this could be a temporary solution, the questions raised by this incident remain: What needs to be done to protect women from such attacks? Action is essential, especially in the context of the initiatives against gender-based violence envisaged by the European Commission in its “Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025”.

These tragic incidents remind us to constantly keep the issue in mind and act accordingly. Serious violent crimes in the family environment are not just isolated cases, but reflect a social problem. It is therefore essential to raise awareness of violence against women and expand support systems so that such dramatic rescue operations do not have to become the rule, but can be seen as an exception in an improved and safe society.

The events surrounding the accident in Vienna-Rudolfsheim are exemplary of the challenges that many women face. Voices from politics and aid organizations are calling for cooperation to increase the safety of women and combat violence.

Sources: courier, Vienna.at, Statistics Austria.