Austrian Mother Convicted for Imprisoning Son in Dog Cage

Austrian Mother Convicted for Imprisoning Son in Dog Cage

The dog cage displayed during the original trial in Krems in February. Photo: APA/CHRISTOPHER ECKL

 

A 33-year-old woman in Lower Austria has lost her appeal to have her 20-year sentence reduced after being convicted of confining and tormenting her then twelve-year-old son in a dog cage.

On Thursday, the Vienna Higher Regional Court (OLG) found no grounds to reduce her sentence. The appeals of both the mother and her 40-year-old neighbour, who was sentenced to 14 years in the first instance as an instigator, were rejected. Both verdicts are now final.

Chief Prosecutor Katja Wallenschewski remarked, “The only reason she received 20 years instead of life imprisonment is that the child survived.”

The mother was convicted in Krems in February on charges including attempted murder, child cruelty, and false imprisonment. Her co-offender neighbour was found guilty of ongoing violence, with her role deemed as that of a perpetrator.

Both women have also been committed to a forensic therapeutic centre due to their highly abnormal personality structures.

The court justified the severe sentences by arguing that the women “nearly destroyed a life” with their actions. On a psychological level, the now 14-year-old boy was described as “completely destroyed.” This was reaffirmed by a three-judge panel at the OLG. Chairwoman Natalia Frohner referred to the acts as “ghastly” and “horrific,” necessitating “exemplary sentences.” Frohner characterised the neighbour as “highly manipulative,” noting that her “sadistic personality” had led the paranoid mother to inflict violence on the boy.

Both the mother and the neighbour used the appeal hearing to offer verbal apologies to the victim. “I am truly sorry for what I did to my son, my ex-husband, and my entire family. I am very sorry,” said the mother. “I would like to apologise to the victim,” added the neighbour.

The case has garnered widespread attention beyond Lower Austria. The mother had beaten, bound, gagged, and repeatedly confined her son in a dog cage for hours on end. According to a report from November 2022, the child was in a coma when found and only survived due to the intervention of a social worker known to the family.

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