Abuse trial against cabaret artist Paal in Vienna: All three defendants admit guilt
Before Vienna's Regional Court for Criminal Matters stand cabaret artist Günther "Gunkl" Paal and two women facing charges of child abuse and serious extortion. All three defendants have admitted guilt, according to their lawyers.
Paal trial in Vienna: cabaret artist and two women in court for abuse and extortion
Since Thursday, the trial against cabaret artist Günther "Gunkl" Paal and a 42-year-old woman and her 62-year-old mother has been underway before Vienna's Regional Court for Criminal Matters, according to orf.at. The main hearing is taking place in the Grand Jury courtroom; the first day of proceedings was scheduled until 13:30.
According to the prosecutor, Paal is charged with sexual abuse of a minor child as well as possession of at least 960 image files and 19 video files containing child sexual abuse material. The two women are accused of serious extortion under paragraphs 144 and 145 of the Criminal Code. All three defendants have admitted guilt before the panel of judges, according to their legal representatives.
Charges against Paal
The 64-year-old Paal is said to have abused the daughter of the 42-year-old woman, born in late March 2021, in the latter's flat in January 2025. According to the indictment, at the time of the alleged offence, he maintained a sexual relationship lasting more than ten years, at least partially paid, with the child's mother and grandmother. Paal's lawyer Florian Höllwarth stated that the two women were "sex workers" whom the artist had met several years ago through an advertisement.
According to the prosecutor, the image and video files found on his computer depicting adult and minor minors were obtained by him from the internet years ago. Paal turned himself in to police in May and filed a self-report; during the subsequent search of his residence, the PC with the incriminating files was seized.
Shortly after the abuse suspicion became known, Paal published a video in which he took responsibility. "I have brought shame upon myself," he said in it, adding that he was "infinitely sorry" for what he had done. He also mentioned the image files and explained that he had "at some point forgotten about" the computer and the data on it. The video was taken offline shortly afterwards.
Extortion over months
Following the alleged assault, the two women are said to have extorted Paal. By threatening that her violent brother or son knew his address as well as the registration number of his vehicle and knew of his paedophilic tendencies, they allegedly made him fear physical violence and media coverage.
Paal is said to have subsequently handed the 42-year-old a total of 159,000 euros in cash in envelopes during meetings — partly in public places such as a sports shop, a café or at railway stations — until May 2026.
Sentencing range and remand custody
The possible sentencing range for Paal is six months to five years' imprisonment. The two women face between one and ten years' imprisonment. They are currently in remand custody; Paal is not. In addition to the defendants, an expert witness is to be heard in the proceedings. At least during the discussion of details of the charges, the public is likely to be excluded from the proceedings.
The affected child is in the care of the Children's and Youth Services of Vienna's Municipal Department 11 (MA 11), as this confirmed after the case became known in mid-September.
Judiciary prepares for public attention
The judiciary is aware that the proceedings against Paal will not proceed "quietly", according to a trial preview by the APA. "The judiciary is aware of its high responsibility and is carefully preparing for the trial within its means," the APA quoted from a statement by the Justice Ministry. The responsible security partners were working closely together to "ensure a smooth course of proceedings".
Judicial circles draw a comparison to the proceedings against former Burgtheater actor Florian Teichtmeister, who was sentenced in September 2023 at Vienna's Regional Court for possession and processing of several tens of thousands of files depicting child abuse. There had been protest demonstrations outside the courthouse during that trial — a scenario that officials want to avoid this time.
The Justice Ministry also spoke out against ad-hoc legislation to the APA. "If a ruling does not meet the expectations of part of the population, demands for higher sentencing ranges are often quickly raised. However, this reaction is based on the assessment of an individual case, whose content in detail is often not publicly known, and is therefore not suitable as a basis for legislative tightening," said the ministry.
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Reports of abuse depictions are received by the Federal Criminal Police Office at [email protected].
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)