Trial of four Vienna police officers following arrest that resulted in stroke
Four officers must answer in court in Vienna after a detained Ukrainian subsequently suffered a stroke.
Trial of four Vienna police officers following arrest that resulted in stroke
The trial of four uniformed deployment officers began on Tuesday in courtroom 203 of the Vienna Regional Criminal Court. The accusation: they are alleged to have taken a 54-year-old man from Ukraine into custody in such a manner that he subsequently suffered a cerebral infarction.
The incident occurred more than a year ago. On 9 May 2024, people gathered at Schwarzenbergplatz to remember fallen soldiers of the Soviet Army. A counter-demonstration by Ukrainian activists took place in parallel. Among those present was the later injured party, who appeared to be intoxicated and caused loud disturbances.
According to the charge, one officer allegedly threw the man down and pressed his knee on the upper back or neck region. He was then taken to the custody facility on Roßauer Lände. There, the detainee allegedly requested help several times and vomited in his cell – without anyone responding. During his later questioning, he was already in a wheelchair. After receiving a fine, he was allowed to leave and called the emergency services himself.
The prosecution authority accuses the first defendant of negligent assault, and three other officers of assaulting or neglecting a person in custody. The fourth is also charged with abuse of authority. All deny the allegations.
The leading prosecutor described the case as extraordinary. However, the evidence situation is problematic: files are said to be incomplete, and the recollections of the accused contain gaps. A forensic doctor who examined the Ukrainian after his arrest stated that he had largely ruled out external injuries.
Source: Falter.at
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)