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Remembering the victims: Five years after the terrorist attack in Vienna
On November 2, 2023, Vienna will remember the victims of the terrorist attack in 2020. Politicians will remember the tragedy and security deficits.
Remembering the victims: Five years after the terrorist attack in Vienna
On November 2, 2025, Viennese people will continue to commemorate the terrible events that took place in the city center on the same day five years ago. On November 2, 2020, a 21-year-old IS terrorist carried out an attack that killed four people and injured 23 others. The horrific acts that will remain in the memory for a long time were unleashed over a period of nine minutes. The victims included a 21-year-old man, a 24-year-old student, a 44-year-old woman and a 39-year-old man. At the end of the rampage, the perpetrator fell victim to the police and was shot.
The city of Vienna plans to hold a wreath-laying ceremony on Sunday to commemorate the victims. High-ranking personalities will be present, including Mayor Michael Ludwig, Interior Minister Gerhard Karner, Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr and former Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The participation of Chancellor Christian Stocker and Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen was canceled for health and scheduling reasons.
The consequences of the attack
An investigative commission found that the threat to the perpetrator was not adequately recognized before the attack. The terrorist met with other Islamists in the summer of 2020 and even obtained ammunition in Bratislava. In February 2023, four of six accused accomplices were sentenced to long prison sentences, including three life sentences and one 20 year sentence. However, the Supreme Court saw deficiencies in the legal information and ordered the trial to be repeated. An arms dealer received a suspended sentence of nine months due to a procedural error.
As a result of the attack, 138 people were awarded financial support, and a total of around 399,000 euros has already been paid out. In addition, a terror victims' fund worth 3.5 million euros was set up, from which 106 affected people have so far received a total of 3.34 million euros meinkreis.at reported.
Global Terrorism Statistics
The scope of terrorism extends far beyond the borders of Vienna. According to current statistics, around 7,142 people worldwide were victims of terrorist violence in 2021, which represents a slight decrease of approximately 1.2 percent compared to the previous year. What is striking is that Afghanistan is considered the worst affected country, with the deadliest attack in which an Islamic State suicide bomber killed 170 people at the international airport in Kabul. It shows that over 97 percent of the attacks took place in conflict countries Statista reported.
Looking back at the events of five years ago and the ongoing global challenges in the area of terrorism, it is clear that, despite all the progress in the areas of security and intelligence, much remains to be done. Vienna, a city of culture and diversity, must always speak out against what threatens peace.