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CRIME

Austrian prosecutor confirms American was murdered

An American au-pair who was found dead in her apartment in Vienna in January was definitely murdered, the state prosecutor has confirmed this week.

Austrian prosecutor confirms American was murdered
Photo: Facebook/Private

The body of 25-year-old Lauren M. was discovered after her employee informed police when she realised the normally reliable au-pair had not picked up her child from school.

Firemen broke down the door to her flat to find her half-undressed body lying face down on a mattress and surrounded by burning candles. Although investigators believed she had been suffocated it was too soon at that time to tell whether she had definitely been murdered.

Spokesperson for the state prosecutors Nina Bussek confirmed to the Kurier newspaper on Wednesday that they are now sure they are dealing with a murder case and that Lauren M. was forcibly suffocated to death.

The newspaper also reported that DNA belonging to a suspect who had been living in the apartment with the American was found on her body.

Gambian Abdou I., 23, who had been living with Lauren M. after his asylum application was rejected by authorities, disappeared after her body was discovered but was soon arrested in a Swiss asylum centre.

Last week a Swiss judge ruled that he can be extradited to Austria, although he has 30 days to decided whether or not to lodge an appeal.

If no appeal takes place, he will be deported in April.

CRIME

Austria investigates 17 teens for alleged sexual abuse of girl

Austrian authorities on Friday said they were investigating 17 teenagers - including 12 minors - over the alleged months-long sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl in Vienna last year.

Austria investigates 17 teens for alleged sexual abuse of girl

The alleged offences took place in a disadvantaged area of the capital’s south “between February and June 2023, in toilets, garages, a hotel and in the perpetrators’ homes”, Florian Finda, deputy director of the Vienna police, told a news conference.

The suspects in the rare case – most of whom are aged between 14 and 18 – are of Bulgarian, Italian, Serbian, Syrian and Turkish origin.

Two of them are under 14 and therefore below Austria’s age of criminal responsibility.

The suspects – almost all of whom were known to police for other offences – are accused of serious sexual abuse of a minor, including the pornographic depiction of the abuse of a minor.

Thirteen suspects were questioned on Thursday, with some of them partially denying the allegations.

The suspects and the Austrian victim met through one of the accused, with whom the then 12-year-old is said to have made out with.

She was then introduced to the rest of the group.

The boys allegedly exchanged videos and photos of the abuse via social networks including WhatsApp chats, with one of them allegedly threatening to share the pornographic material.

According to the police, none of the material was made available to the wider public.

In October, the young girl, now 13, informed her mother, who subsequently filed a complaint.

The ongoing investigation is due to be transferred to the public prosecutor’s office.

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