Feldkirch. The 35-year-old Soner Ö., Who stabbed the head of the social services department of the Dornbirn district authority a year ago, pleaded on Monday to the Feldkirch regional court to kill the then 49-year-old. But it wasn’t murder. “I wanted to give him a punishment, not to murder him,” said the asylum seeker, who grew up in Vorarlberg.
Ö. pleaded guilty to deliberate serious physical injury resulting in death. He visited the social welfare director again on the afternoon of February 6, 2019, and he had him with “You asshole, are you back?” addressed. That made him so angry that he lost control. The defendant confessed that he had pulled the kitchen knife he carried with him from his waistband and attacked the 49-year-old sitting at the desk. But he had no intention of killing. “I wanted to cut out his neck muscles so that he could no longer use his arm,” said Ö. When he tried to stab the head of the social welfare office, he got up, however, so he caught him at chest level.
Massive stab pierced sternum
The massive stab pierced the sternum and injured the aorta, the social services director bled to death. The asylum seeker, who was alcoholized at 0.78 per mille and was under the influence of medication, was caught after a short escape. “If I had wanted to kill him, I would have done it so that no one would have known,” said the accused, referring to his combat experience. He is telling the truth, because: “I have nothing to lose because I have already lost everything”. After this first stitch, in which Ö. Even injured on the right hand, he picked up the knife lying on the floor with his left and inflicted further stitches on his victim – a total of 14. He wanted to give him “pain stitches”, so it was only two to three centimeters deep stitches in the arms. “I don’t know why I did it,” said the 35-year-old.
Prosecutor Konstanze Manhart had already presented the – undisputed – events of the day in her opening speech. The 35-year-old Ö. had been coming to the social department of the Dornbirn district authority for 23 years because of unpaid basic benefits. There was particular controversy because ten years earlier – in a different function and after the 15th sentence of Ö.’s – the victim had issued a residence ban against the 35-year-old. He returned to Austria illegally in early 2019. An asylum procedure was allowed because the 35-year-old Kurd reportedly fought in Syria in 2015 and killed at least two Turkish soldiers. That is why he is threatened with persecution in Turkey. And that is why he always carries a knife with him out of fear of reprisals from the Turkish state, the accused said.
Defendant: Sent “back and forth” for three weeks
Ö. traced the frequent meeting with the head of the social welfare office, with whom he had come into conflict for the first time at the age of twelve. When he first came to the Dornbirn district authority for basic services in January 2019, the head of the social services department declined to shake his hand. He shouted at him on all of his subsequent visits and never took time for him. For three weeks he was only sent “back and forth”. Once the head of the social welfare office also shouted at him because he had used it. “It’s not a humiliation. It’s humiliating to be shouted at,” said the accused. Nevertheless, he was out for reconciliation, even on the day of the deed. “I wanted to talk to him from person to person,” said Ö.
A lot of time was spent on the first of three days of the trial to go over the police protocol with the accused. Manhart quoted Ö’s sentences immediately after the fact, which the 35-year-old did not deny: “Now these beautiful blue eyes will go out. You should only have been nice”. He said that out of pity, Ö emphasized. According to Manhart, the murder weapon symbolically placed the murder weapon on the victim’s desk. That should have meant “Who abuses his office will be punished”. For Manhart it was clear: “He wanted to kill him”. The accused hated the head of the social welfare office and blamed him for his misfortune.
Defense lawyer spoke of “relationship act”
Defender Weh spoke of a “relationship act”. Even at the age of twelve, Ö. came into contact with the later victim, who was then working for the Aliens Police, and was threatened with expulsion. After more than 25 years of “relationship” and after the great insult to deportation, the “explosion” finally occurred. But it was not a murder, “otherwise he could have matched the victim and would not have had to go to the district administration,” said Weh.
The negotiation, conducted under the strictest security precautions and with enormous media interest, was postponed to Tuesday shortly after 5:30 p.m. Then court psychiatrist Reinhard Haller has his say. According to his expertise, the 35-year-old was accountable and therefore guilty. Subsequently, employees of the Dornbirn district administration are heard. Forensic doctor Walter Rabl will present his findings on Wednesday, as well as a toxicological report. Afterwards, the final plea and judgment are to be made.
On the occasion of the start of the trial, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz and Governor Markus Wallner (both ÖVP) reiterated the demand for preventive detention: People who have already committed a violent crime and are threatening them should be able to be taken into preventive detention in the future, even if the threat is formulated in general or not was directed against an individual.
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