Austrian ombudsman launches inquiry into Klagenfurt prison death

Austria’s Ombudsman Board has launched an official inquiry into the suspected killing of a 19-year-old man at Klagenfurt Prison, ORF reported. The board cited an urgent need for clarification over reported psychological problems affecting the 17-year-old murder suspect.

Ombudsman Gabriela Schwarz told the APA that the inquiry would examine when indications of a possible psychological impairment were investigated and whether the teenager should have been placed in a special form of detention.

Schwarz said the case once again showed that Austria’s prisons were not adequately equipped to accommodate and care for people with mental illnesses. She referred to a report the Ombudsman Board presented in March on the treatment of mentally ill people in the prison system.

Suspect and victim shared a cell

The suspect and the victim had been held in a two-person cell at Klagenfurt Prison since 7 August. The 19-year-old was serving a prison sentence for property offences, while the teenager had been placed in pre-trial detention because he was considered a risk of committing another offence.

The charges that led to the teenager’s detention involved dangerous threats and an attempted arson attack. His next regular detention review is scheduled for 24 September.

Possible psychological problems

During questioning, the 17-year-old admitted that he first strangled his older cellmate unconscious during an argument and then inflicted fatal cuts to his neck.

APA research found that there had been indications of possible psychological problems, or a mental illness, after the teenager’s arrest. He had allegedly threatened family members with death and was also detained over the attempted arson attack because he was considered a risk of reoffending. A psychiatric assessment has been commissioned.