In five cases the 21-year-old, named as Marius C., is also accused of attempted murder after his victims were attacked with an iron bar.

The trial is expected to last three days, with a verdict due on Friday. His victims were mostly young women – the youngest was only 13. One woman almost died from her injuries.

If found guilty he faces between ten and 20 years in prison, or a life sentence.

Marius C. has confessed to the robberies but is pleading not guilty to attempted murder.

He is accused of carrying out eight robberies which took place in Vienna’s Favoriten district in March and April.

In five cases the women were beaten with an 50 cm-long iron bar, which was taken from a fence in Favoriten. Some of the victims were left with serious facial and head injuries.

One, an employee of ÖVP politician Othmar Karas, barely survived the attack and her injuries are permanent and life-changing. Another woman was blinded in one eye. 

Marius C. took only small amounts of money, mobile phones, bank cards and ID cards.

He arrived in Vienna from Romania on March 9th with relatives to do some temporary, undeclared construction work for which he was paid €2,000. 

He had planned to return home in May but is believed to have carried out the first attack just a week after his arrival.

Two years ago he was arrested for assaulting a young woman in Romania and pushing her down some stairs. He spent less than a year in prison.