Graz prisoner sentenced to 10 years and six months

A 34-year-old prisoner was sentenced in Graz to 10 years and six months in prison and ordered to return to a forensic-therapeutic centre after allegedly attacking his cellmate, ORF reported. The verdict is not yet legally binding.

The incident took place in September 2023 at Graz-Karlau prison. The man was accused of seriously injuring and raping his cellmate, allegedly choking him with a belt.

In an initial trial in April, the court found that the case could involve attempted murder and issued a decision declaring it lacked jurisdiction. The case was heard by a jury court on Wednesday on charges of attempted murder and rape, alongside an application for the man to be placed again in a forensic-therapeutic centre.

The defendant, who has been in a forensic-therapeutic centre since 2012, had known the alleged victim for some time. They had been held together under the custodial measures system and later shared a cell at Graz-Karlau.

He admitted responsibility only for bodily harm. His lawyer said the defendant was responsible for the injuries but was not a murderer, describing the incident as an escalation of an argument and denying that sexual acts had taken place.

The public was excluded after the opening statements. The court had not yet made the verdict legally binding on Wednesday evening.