44-year-old arrested in Salzburg: supplied cocaine to girls from age twelve
A 44-year-old Turkish national is alleged to have supplied cocaine to at least six minors. Sexual abuse has not been proven so far.
Arrest in Salzburg: man allegedly supplied girls with cocaine
A 44-year-old Turkish national was arrested at the end of March in Salzburg after allegedly supplying cocaine to at least six girls aged twelve to seventeen. According to salzburg.orf.at, the man is said to have provided the minors with the drug in his apartment in the Salzburg city area since at least March 2023.
The Salzburg State Police Directorate confirmed the arrest on Monday. The suspect is currently in custody on suspicion of numerous offences under the Narcotic Substances Act.
Allegation of sexual abuse not substantiated so far
Initially, allegations of sexual abuse were also raised. According to police, these could not be confirmed despite extensive investigations, numerous interviews and questioning of all those involved. The authority stated in a press release: "Violations of sexual integrity by the accused Turkish national and/or possible accomplices to the detriment of minors, which were also initially under consideration, could not be substantiated in any way despite intensive efforts, extensive investigations and numerous interviews and questioning of all those involved up to now."
Reports of network in railway station district since November
Since November of the previous year, there have been indications that men in apartments in the Salzburg railway station district have been supplying underage girls with drugs and demanding sexual favours in return. Social state councillor Wolfgang Fürweger (FPÖ) had made this matter public.
Bettina Plattner, head of child and adolescent psychiatry in Salzburg, reported at the beginning of January that corresponding cases also came to her facility. Speaking to "ZIB 2", she said: "The girls tell us that they are approached at Salzburg central railway station by young men of Arab descent who offer them drugs and promise them more drugs in Vienna. And many of these girls go along with it."
14-year-old describes operations in roughly a dozen apartments
The "Salzburger Nachrichten" published a report last Friday from a 14-year-old who spoke of roughly a dozen apartments — at Kiesel in the railway station district, but also in Salzburg-Itzling and Salzburg-Parsch. Minors at these locations are said to have received cocaine from men and sometimes also heroin, with sexual favours expected in return.
According to the "SN", the 14-year-old described a specific incident: "A girl went off with the man to the bathroom and came back completely in tears. Then she snorted two lines of coke and acted as if nothing had happened."
Police emphasise burden of proof
The Salzburg police pointed on Monday to the legal requirements for prosecution: concrete statements from victims in formal questioning before police and court were essential. Investigations would continue jointly with the public prosecutor's office "possibly also across state borders", with the aim of being able to prove further criminal offences.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)