Pre-trial detention in Hipp extortion case extended until 14 September

Background of the allegations

The man is accused of having tampered with a total of six jars of Hipp baby food – two each in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia – using rat poison. In one of the jars, secured in Burgenland, 15 micrograms of rat poison were found. A second jar, which is said to have been sold in a Spar branch in Eisenstadt, has not been found so far.

According to an expert opinion, the dose would not have been life-threatening if consumed, but would have resulted in health consequences. Rat poison was secured at the suspect's residential address. The public prosecutor's office stated in this regard, as reported, that the similarity is nevertheless no proof that it is the same poison.

Securing of evidence

The suspect was arrested on 2 May in the federal state of Salzburg. He is a native Slovak and admits only to the document forgery – specifically forged payslips that he is alleged to have used for a loan. He rejects the more serious allegations of extortion and bodily harm.

The investigations surrounding the international extortion case against the German baby food manufacturer are ongoing. The public prosecutor's office continues to examine whether the rat poison secured from the man's apartment is identical to the substance in the tampered jar. The accused will remain in pre-trial detention until September.

The prosecution regards the similarity in concentration and ratio between the rat poison at the residential address and that in the secured jar as circumstantial evidence, but expressly not as proof. Further investigation results are expected in the coming weeks.

International dimension of the case

The case attracted international attention because baby food – a product intended for the particularly vulnerable group of infants and young children – was involved. Hipp had publicly disclosed the incident once the tampering became known.

The extension of pre-trial detention follows a routine legal procedure: after the originally set deadline expires, the competent court must rule on a continuation. The fact that a ruling was made this time before the deadline was due solely to the defence motion.

Outlook on the criminal proceedings

If the suspicion is substantiated, the accused faces several years' imprisonment in Austria. The trial will be held at the Eisenstadt Regional Court as soon as the investigations are completed.