Vienna police officer dismissed following Nazi chats – Federal Administrative Court upholds ruling
A Vienna police officer who spread Nazi content in thousands of chats over several years has been dismissed by the Federal Administrative Court. The ruling is not yet final.
Federal Administrative Court dismisses Vienna police officer over Nazi chats
An official of the Vienna State Police Department distributed and forwarded 206 files containing Nazi, racist and antisemitic content in thousands of chats over several years. These included mockery of Nazi victims as well as jokes about the Holocaust. The Federal Administrative Court has now ordered her dismissal, as confirmed to profil.at.
The case came to light after the Office for Constitutional Protection discovered the chats by chance – as profil.at first reported. The regional court in Eisenstadt convicted the woman under the Prohibition Act and imposed a suspended sentence. The Federal Disciplinary Authority subsequently imposed only a fine, but refrained from dismissal. The Interior Ministry then brought the case before the Federal Administrative Court.
During proceedings there, which profil.at also reported on, the official revealed significant gaps in her historical knowledge. A school visit to the Mauthausen memorial site had not "stuck with her", she explained. At the same time, she assured that the chats did not reflect her beliefs. She had committed an "inexcusable mistake" and asked for a second chance.
The disciplinary counsel of the Interior Ministry argued that the official had substantially undermined public confidence in the professionalism and lawfulness of the police, as well as her relationship to the Republic.
The judge responsible followed this line and ordered dismissal in her written ruling. She justified this on "general and specific deterrent grounds" – both the official herself and others must be prevented from committing similar acts.
The ruling is not yet final. The path to the Administrative Court or Constitutional Court remains open to the official. However, no corresponding appeal or revision has been filed thus far, the Federal Administrative Court stated.
Source: Google News AT — Crime (de)