People affected by the mass shooting at a school in Graz, in which a 21-year-old killed nine students and one teacher with legally acquired firearms on June 10, 2025, and injured 11 others before taking his own life, have received initial support payments from a relief fund set up by the Ministry of Social Affairs. As the crime victims’ support organization Weißer Ring, which is administering the fund, announced on Friday, around €1.5 million has been paid out so far.
The relief fund is endowed with up to €15 million and will run until 2029. Other affected individuals therefore still have sufficient time to submit applications under the Crime Victims Act (VOG) to the Social Ministry Service and request benefits from the fund. The fund covers one-time financial assistance for victims under the VOG as well as psychosocial aftercare for all affected persons, including relatives and survivors.
No details on individual amounts
The support payments were transferred following extensive preparations and several meetings of an independent panel of experts, which subjected the submitted applications to individual review. The amount of each payment was based on the panel’s recommendations, taking into account supreme court case law, the respective physical and psychological injuries, and the personal circumstances of those affected. Neither Weißer Ring nor the Ministry of Social Affairs provided details on individual payment amounts.
“We are fully aware that nothing can undo what those affected have experienced or the losses they have suffered,” said Weißer Ring Managing Director Caroline Kerschbaumer. She added that the support could “hopefully be a small help on the path to coping with what happened.” Kerschbaumer said she was pleased “that we were able to carry out the first payouts this year as planned.”
