Austria: Syrian father threatened to kill and rape 14-year-old daughter because he suspected she had a boyfriend

Vienna Regional Court for Criminal Matters, Dnalor 01, (Wikimedia Commons),(CC-BY-SA 3.0)

The Vienna Regional Court for Criminal Matters on Friday ordered the father of a 14-year-old girl to be held in custody after he had abused the girl with a burning cigarette and a mobile phone charging cable, among other things.

This was announced to the Austrian press agency APA by court spokeswoman Christina Salzborn. The man is being investigated for ongoing violence and dangerous threats. According to Salzborn, the reasons for his detention include the risk of committing the crime and the risk of executing it.

The police arrested the father on Wednesday after the 14-year-old asked for help at her school and approached a teacher. The day before, an argument had broken out in the Syrian family’s flat after an uncle of the girl had suggested that she might have a boyfriend. Believing that his daughter had fallen in love, the father probably went completely berserk. According to the current state of the investigation, he allegedly hit his daughter with a cable, kicked her, pulled her hair and burned her hand with a cigarette. He also threatened to kill the girl and rape her if she had a boyfriend.

When the situation escalated again on Wednesday and there was more domestic violence, the girl ran into the school. After she reported the abuse to the police, the 14-year-old was taken to hospital. In the meantime, the schoolgirl is in a crisis centre.

The father – who in the meantime has been banned from entering and approaching the home as well as from carrying weapons – admitted the accusations made by his daughter in part during his first interrogation. According to court spokeswoman Salzborn, he did not make any statements during the interrogation. For the time being, the detention is valid until March 10.

https://www.oe24.at/oesterreich/chronik/wien/maedchen-14-misshandelt-vater-in-u-haft/546717477