Robberies: some young people confess
court
Since Tuesday morning, a youth gang has had to answer to the Salzburg regional court for twelve robberies, among other things. Eight boys between the ages of 14 and 17 are accused. The young people admitted to some offenses right at the beginning of the trial.
The 40-page indictment is now being dealt with fact by fact, the judge said on Tuesday. Due to the large number of accused and accused offences, this procedure must be conducted in a well-structured manner. The accused – most of them already had a criminal record – appear to have confessed in some cases. From the point of view of observers, the cohesion of the group seems to be crumbling, some of the boys could no longer remember the course of the crime at the trial, and they often did not believe the stories of the co-defendants.
A defendant may have gone into hiding
Only seven of the eight accused appeared in court on Tuesday. The eighth youth was initially cooperative with the authorities, but according to the boy’s mother, he has since gone into hiding in Hungary. If he doesn’t show up in the next two days, the public prosecutor’s office will put him out for an EU-wide search.
A total of 30 witnesses are to be questioned about the allegations and actions in the coming days. A verdict should be on Thursday at the earliest.
Long list of charges
The indictment against the young people is long. On 40 pages, the public prosecutor’s office exactly what she accuses the eight boys of: twelve robberies – some with the use of weapons, 13 assaults, ten thefts as well as coercion, blackmail and dangerous threats. Most of the victims of the gang were youngsters of the same age. The accused had also behaved particularly violently towards them. The group is said to have stolen only small change or items such as shoes and headphones.
The young people are said to have started the deeds between April and October in downtown Salzburg and also at events such as the Rupertikirtag and the Dult. If found guilty of aggravated robbery, the youngsters face up to seven and a half years in prison.