A 38-year-old man was sentenced to four years in prison for several offences – including aggravated coercion and rape – at the Feldkirch Regional Court on Friday. Despite the defendant’s protestations of innocence, the senate believed the victim, who was awarded 6,000 euros in compensation. The verdict is not legally binding.
The 38-year-old, who originates from Iraq, met the 30-year-old Vorarlberg woman in 2020 in a bar in Dornbirn. At that time, he was already married to a woman from his home country, with whom he has five children. The 30-year-old woman converted to Islam and wore a headscarf on his behalf. A wedding according to Muslim rites followed, the 30-year-old became the second wife of the Iraqi.
According to the woman, he repeatedly told her what to do and oppressed her – even by force. There were slaps in the face, beatings, threats. In spring 2021, the woman from Vorarlberg became pregnant. Because she had entered a Catholic church in the course of a baptism celebration among acquaintances, her husband demanded that she terminate the pregnancy, according to the indictment. He threatened to abduct her to Iraq and kill her. The woman gave in and had the pregnancy terminated.
Only a little later – in the summer of 2021 – the 38-year-old forced his wife to have sexual intercourse against her will in their shared flat in the district of Bregenz, according to the court’s findings. Nevertheless, the 30-year-old did not report the perpetrator until he had gained access to her flat in an unknown manner after the relationship had ended.
The jury did not believe the statements of the suspect, who insisted on his innocence. He was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, the verdict is not final
She is lucky to be alive