Man Given Probation and Therapy for Harassing Soprano Singer

Man Given Probation and Therapy for Harassing Soprano Singer

Image: APA/Herbert Neubauer

 

A 50-year-old man who had stalked a female soprano singer since 2014 has avoided conviction at Vienna’s Regional Court, instead agreeing to a two-year probationary period, a €250 fine and mandatory psychotherapy.

The defendant, who has no prior criminal record, admitted to his actions, which included bombarding the singer – 18 years his junior – with emails and messages on Facebook after seeing her perform on stage. His behaviour persisted despite a lawyer’s letter in 2015 forbidding further contact.

The man repeatedly reached out to the woman using false identities, creating multiple Facebook accounts and email addresses in an attempt to make contact. In court, the defendant explained his motives, saying, “I’m a violinist myself. I wanted her affection.”

He went on to describe his admiration for the soprano: “She’s an incredible artist. I fell in love with her.” When asked by Judge Danja Petschniker why he continued to pursue her despite being blocked on Facebook, he said, “I was alone in Vienna. I come from the countryside. I lost track.”

The defendant added that he had sat near her at concerts, hoping she might be interested in him, and admitted to having “the suspicion that what I was doing wasn’t right.” When asked what he hoped to achieve, he replied, “That she might contact me. It would have been enough if she had just said, ‘I’m taken.'”

The soprano testified as a witness, explaining that while initially the man’s actions had not caused her much distress, his repeated appearances at her concerts began to unsettle her. “It’s a shock,” she said, describing how she eventually spotted him not only at her performances but also on the street, at a tram stop. “The last few months have been not much fun. I started to feel afraid.”

In a letter received just days before the trial, the defendant promised to leave her in peace. “I apologise once again,” he wrote, adding, “I have the utmost interest in your well-being.”

As part of the court’s conditions, the defendant was prohibited from contacting the soprano again and ordered to attend psychotherapy, submitting progress reports to the court every three months.

Judge Petschniker warned the defendant: “If you don’t comply with the conditions, you’ll be here,” gesturing to the nearby Josefstadt prison. She advised him to focus his admiration elsewhere: “Find another artist or artist you admire.”

After discussing the agreement with his legal advisor, the defendant accepted the conditions. The prosecutor raised no objections, and the complaint was officially dismissed.

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