Second 14-year-old charged over Vienna cemetery murder

Another 14-year-old girl is facing court in Vienna on Wednesday over the killing of a retired woman at Baumgarten Cemetery on February 23, ORF reported. She has been charged with contributing to murder following an investigation.

The hearing is taking place before a juvenile court. In June, another 14-year-old girl was convicted as the direct perpetrator and sentenced to eight years in prison and placement in a forensic therapeutic centre.

During that earlier trial, the defendant said without apparent emotion that she had been having homicidal thoughts for some time. She had shared her fantasies with her friend in a message, telling her about the thoughts. The friend allegedly encouraged her to carry out the killing.

The friend had already been treated as a suspect before the trial. Statements by the main defendant during the hearing ultimately incriminated her.

The victim was a random target. She happened to be at the cemetery when the girl, whom she did not know, attacked her from behind and stabbed her.

For 14- to 16-year-olds, murder carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The case is therefore being heard by a panel of professional and lay judges rather than a jury.