Man gets prison term after restraining sister in exorcism attempt

A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to two years in prison for restraining his seriously mentally ill sister during an alleged exorcism attempt, ORF reported. Eight months of the sentence must be served, and the verdict is legally binding.

The woman, 27, has paranoid schizophrenia. During an episode in May after not taking her medication for several months, she wanted to jump from a balcony. Her brother stopped her, tied her up, taped her mouth shut and put a protective helmet on her head. The woman repeatedly lost consciousness briefly. The man called emergency services only after almost a day.

During the emergency call, he described the incident as an attempted expulsion of the devil. Prosecutor Barbara Baum argued that the case amounted to serious deprivation of liberty under particularly harsh conditions. She said the woman’s consent was irrelevant because she had been in an extreme state and needed immediate medical assistance.

The defendant said he had been overwhelmed and desperate because of the family’s situation. He said his brother and mother also had schizophrenia and that he had witnessed their condition since childhood. He maintained that he had not acted against his sister’s will but had only wanted to protect her from injury.

The man also claimed that parts of his police interview had been recorded incorrectly. Two police officers rejected that account, saying they had reviewed the interview paragraph by paragraph before he signed it and that he had not appeared overtired.

A panel of lay judges led by Judge Lisa Kuschinsky found the previously unconvicted man guilty of a serious form of deprivation of liberty. Both the defendant and the prosecutor waived their right to appeal.