Vienna court hears case against comedian Gunkl

Austrian comedian Günter Paal, known as Gunkl, is due to face trial in Vienna on charges of sexually abusing a child and possessing child sexual abuse material, ORF reports. The child’s mother and grandmother are also charged with aggravated extortion.

Paal is accused of abusing a girl born in March 2021 at the mother’s apartment in January 2025. At the time, he had been in a sexual relationship with the mother and grandmother for more than 10 years, at least partly in exchange for payment, the indictment says.

The two women allegedly pressured Paal for cash after the alleged abuse. They are accused of threatening that a violent brother and son knew about his alleged paedophilic interests and knew his address and car registration, leading him to fear a physical attack and media exposure. Paal allegedly handed the mother a total of 159,000 euros in envelopes at meetings between then and May 2026, including at public places such as a sports shop, a cafe and railway stations.

Paal is also charged with possessing sexual abuse material involving minors. Investigators seized a computer from his home containing 960 image files and 19 video files depicting minors both under and over 14. He had obtained the files online several years ago, according to the report. Paal reported himself to police in May.

According to their lawyers, Paal and the two women are expected to admit the charges before a panel of professional and lay judges. If convicted, Paal faces between six months and five years in prison because the alleged offence did not involve intercourse or an equivalent act with a child under 14. Such an act would carry a maximum sentence of 10 years.

The hearing at the Vienna Regional Court is scheduled to last three and a half hours. The public may be excluded while the alleged abuse is discussed to protect the child. The court is also preparing for protests and has been coordinating with police, the Justice Ministry said.