70-year-old convicted of attempted murder after stabbing ex-partner in Salzburg

Background of the relationship

On the day of the attack, the woman told the court there had been no argument. She described the moments leading up to the stabbing and recalled that the man stood in front of her with the knife. "Es war klar für mich, dass er mich umbringen will", she said. "Es sei alles so schnell gegangen."

The woman said she had also called her son during the incident, only for the defendant to say, "ich will dich mitnehmen". She survived only by running away. After being stabbed in the chest, abdomen and knee, she was operated on in hospital and has since been undergoing psychotherapy. The prosecutor told the court that the woman's flight was the only thing that stopped further stabbing. "Nur durch die Flucht der Frau sei er von weiteren Stichen abgehalten worden, 'sonst wäre sie vielleicht nicht mehr am Leben'."

Prosecutors characterised the defendant's state of mind at the time of the offence. "Er war unzufrieden mit seiner tristen Situation und auch mit ihrem Verhalten", the prosecutor said. The prosecution argued that the defendant was not destined to kill the woman but that his actions showed clear intent to cause serious harm.

How the attack unfolded

The defendant himself gave a different account. "Ich war verzweifelt mit meiner Lebenssituation gewesen", he said, describing his state before the attack. He told the court he no longer wanted to go on living and had considered suicide. In his own words, he said he did not want to die "ungesehen", which he cited as the reason he went to his ex-partner's flat. He added that he had inflicted a wound on his own arm with the knife.

When asked by the presiding judge about earlier statements he had made to the victim, the defendant replied: "das habe ich gesagt, um ihr Angst zu machen." Earlier he had reportedly told her, "Er sagte, er will aus dem Leben scheiden, und vorher bringt er mich um, weil ich seinen Sohn weggenommen habe."

Defence arguments and the defendant's account

The defence argued the stabs had been delivered with low intensity and pointed out that the defendant had not chased the woman when she fled. "Es war kein festes Stechen", the defence maintained. The defendant also told the court he had spoken of a trauma and "die nicht schönen Erinnerungen" connected to the relationship with his ex-partner.

Witnesses confirmed that the suggestion to pay €200 had not come from the victim herself. The neighbourly arrangements that had allowed the defendant to stay in the house collapsed, the court heard, as financial tensions rose. In the months before the attack, the defendant became increasingly desperate about his housing and financial situation.

In passing sentence, the court convicted the man of attempted murder, an offence carrying a lengthy prison term under Austrian law. The 15-year sentence reflects the gravity of the act and the threat posed to the victim's life, given the size of the blade and the areas targeted. The defendant did not succeed in his aim only because the victim managed to escape.

The verdict brings a formal close to the criminal proceedings, although civil and family-related matters may continue separately. The ex-partner, who continues with psychotherapy, said after the proceedings: "Ich bin froh, dass ich davongekommen bin." The case has been widely covered in Austrian media, including nachrichten.at and the APA news agency.