Woman and toddlers attacked in Vienna-Floridsdorf: 40-year-old on the run

At the Kürschnergasse police inspection, the woman stated that her 40-year-old ex-husband had dragged her out of the elevator in the stairwell. The man is then said to have attacked the woman with punches and kicks, as the executive explained: „Anschließend soll der 40-Jährige die Frau mit Faustschlägen und Tritten attackiert haben", so die Exekutive. During the attack, the stroller also tipped over, injuring one of the children.

Course of the attack in the stairwell

The police spokesman told the APA that the suspect had already been known to police for similar offenses. The fugitive is a 40-year-old Russian who, according to the information, stood in a familial relationship to the 36-year-old as her ex-husband. According to the current state of knowledge, the two children are one and two years old.

Search and tips to the police

Police are searching intensively for the man, as the officers emphasized: „Nach dem 40-Jährigen wird weiterhin intensiv gefahndet", erklären die Beamten. An immediately launched search has so far been unsuccessful. Tips can be submitted to the police at phone number 01-31310-64340 at the Kürschnergasse police inspection.

According to initial findings, the background to the crime is a relationship dispute between the former spouses. The exact background of the attack as well as the precise sequence of events are currently being investigated by the police. The authorities are also examining, among other things, the extent to which the suspect had access to the apartment or the stairwell before the crime.

Support services for affected women

In Austria, women who experience violence can find help and information from the following contact points, among others: The Women's Helpline is available online at frauenhelpline.at and by phone at 0800-222-555. The Association of Autonomous Austrian Women's Shelters (AÖF) provides information at aoef.at, and the Women's Shelter Emergency Hotline is available at 057722. The Austrian violence protection centers offer counseling at 0800/700-217, and the police emergency number is 133.

After the incident became known, the Vienna Police set up a dedicated investigation team. This also includes examining whether further police-relevant incidents between the suspect and his former partners have been documented. The authorities also announced that they would inform the public about relevant developments in the search process.

Background: domestic violence in Vienna

The incident in Vienna-Floridsdorf is part of a series of violent crimes in the domestic sphere that have been recorded in the federal capital in recent years. The City of Vienna and the Ministry of the Interior regularly refer to the existing support services in such cases. The Vienna Police also emphasize the importance of early reporting and rapid help from neighbors and relatives.

Floridsdorf is the most populous district of Vienna and comprises both densely built Wilhelminian-era neighborhoods and newer residential developments. According to police, operations due to domestic violence occur repeatedly in apartment buildings. In such situations, the officers call on neighbors to immediately report loud altercations via the police emergency number 133.

Family-law conflicts with ex-partners are considered a risk factor in police prevention work. In recent years, several programs have been expanded in Vienna to reach those affected earlier. These include, for example, cross-departmental cooperation with violence protection centers as well as training for emergency services.

Investigations and further steps

The Kürschnergasse police inspection in Floridsdorf is the responsible office for the area in which the incident occurred. It coordinates the ongoing investigations and consolidates incoming tips. Callers who can provide relevant information about the suspect's whereabouts are asked to contact the number listed above.

The APA reported, citing the police spokesman, on the police-known background of the suspect. Accordingly, the 40-year-old had already been on file for similar offenses in the past. In comparable cases, such prior experiences have always played a central role in investigations.

The incident occurred late Thursday evening in an apartment building, as several Viennese daily newspapers reported consistently. The exact injuries of the woman and the two children were not published in detail by the police. The hospital to which the family was taken initially did not comment on the health condition of those affected.

In the coming days, the investigators intend, among other things, to evaluate the evidence at the scene in the stairwell and at the elevator. The evaluation of video recordings from the residential building is also part of the investigation. The police did not rule out the search expanding beyond the Floridsdorf district to other Viennese districts and the surrounding area.

The Vienna Police once again asked the public not to conduct any independent search actions for the suspect. Instead, observations that could be related to the case should be reported exclusively through the Kürschnergasse police inspection. According to its own information, the police also accept tips via social media or messenger services.