Vienna court postpones trial over drug and abuse charges

A trial in Vienna over alleged drug dealing and sexual abuse has been adjourned, with many witnesses still to testify, ORF reports.

The four defendants, aged 20 to 31, are accused of forming a criminal organisation and selling crystal meth, cocaine and a total of 23.4 kilograms of cannabis until early April 2026. They lived together in an apartment. The men deny the charges and say they used the drugs themselves.

They also deny allegations that, with the exception of the youngest defendant, they offered drugs to girls under 14 in exchange for sex and then had intercourse with them. A defence lawyer said there had been no such offers, particularly not to girls under 14, and argued that prosecutors had not identified the alleged victims.

A separate allegation concerns a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by an as-yet unidentified man in the apartment on the night of March 5, after being drugged with knockout drops. A defence lawyer rejected the allegation, citing an expert report that found no corresponding residue in a drinks can.

The youngest defendant, now 20, faces a separate charge over having sex regularly with his girlfriend when he was 19 and she was 13. His lawyer said he believed she was older and did not know she was under 14.

The trial is due to resume on October 20. Numerous witnesses, including several girls who are under 14, have been called to testify.