Trial Over Home Invasion in Langenzersdorf: 19-Year-Old Confesses Before Court

According to the indictment, the 19-year-old Serbian man and his accomplice disguised themselves as plumbers in order to gain entry to the elderly woman's home in Langenzersdorf in Lower Austria. „Der 19-Jährige war zusammen mit einem Komplizen, der bei dem Prozess am Dienstag nicht geladen war, am 18. Dezember in das Wohnhaus des betagten Opfers in Langenzersdorf unter dem Vorwand von Installateurarbeiten eingedrungen."

Only 120 Euros in Loot, but Lifelong Consequences

After the attack, the victim managed to free herself after some time. „Das Opfer konnte sich schließlich selbst befreien." A neighbor then alerted the emergency services. „Ihr Nachbar verständigte daraufhin die Einsatzkräfte." Despite the brutal approach, the two men only got away with a small amount of cash of around 120 euros, according to investigators. „Letztlich erbeuteten die beiden Männer nur einen geringen Bargeldbetrag."

The 19-year-old was arrested together with four acquaintances in April after a failed home invasion in Vienna. A DNA match put investigators on the man's trail and also linked him to the crime in Langenzersdorf. „Er hat das Opfer nicht geschlagen", his defense attorney told the judge, adding: „Es tut ihm sehr leid."

Arrests in Vienna and Bosnia

The accomplice, who is alleged to have struck together with the 19-year-old in Langenzersdorf, was arrested shortly afterward in Bosnia. „Sein Komplize wurde wenig später von der Polizei in Bosnien festgenommen." In Tuesday's proceedings, however, the 19-year-old stood trial alone; the four other defendants arrested together with him in April are apparently being prosecuted in connection with a different robbery, according to APA.

The defendant made a full confession before the judge. „Der Angeklagte zeigte sich vor der Richterin vollumfassend geständig." His defense attorney stated that his client had been struggling with a gambling addiction for some time. The second accomplice, who according to the indictment had entered the apartment together with him under the pretext of plumbing work, was also arrested by police in Bosnia in the meantime.

Confession and Gambling Addiction as Explanation

The verdict in the proceedings had not yet been handed down on Tuesday. The 19-year-old must answer for aggravated robbery. A conviction for aggravated robbery combined with grievous bodily harm carries hefty prison sentences in Austria, especially since the prosecution emphasized the particular need for protection of the victim as an elderly pensioner.

The case attracted attention in Lower Austria and Vienna because it stands as an example of the vulnerability of older people in their own homes. The pensioner's daughter-in-law summed up the dimension of the suffering: „Sie ist an jenem Tag um zehn Jahre gealtert und seither nicht mehr dieselbe wie vorher." The prosecution described the attack as especially reprehensible, since the perpetrators had shamelessly exploited older people's trust in supposed tradesmen.

On the margins of the trial, the defense referred to their client's existing gambling addiction and asked the court to take this into account when determining the sentence. The judge announced that the verdict would be delivered after the conclusion of the taking of evidence. Until then, the 19-year-old remains in pretrial detention.