Security questions before process
Florian Teichtmeister will appear in court on Tuesday.
© IMAGO/Starface
Florian Teichtmeister is represented by two star lawyers. They should prevent him from being housed in a forensic therapy center. Meanwhile, protesters over the weekend called for the death penalty.
Vienna – Shortly before the start of the trial for the consumption of child pornography, Florian Teichtmeister (43) strengthened his line of defense: In addition to the well-known lawyer Philipp Wolm, the actor can also be represented by Rudolf Mayer.
This step had been expected for a long time. The 75-year-old Mayer is to hold the opening speech next to Wolm on Tuesday at the start of the process. The Viennese criminal defense lawyer is no stranger: he has already represented Josef Fritzl, Elfriede Blauensteiner, an assistant to the Vienna assassin and the murderess Estibaliz C., known as the “Ice Lady”. Wolm is also an experienced professional, having defended ex-minister Sophie Karmasin and musician RAF Camora, among others.
The line of the duo should be clear: the lawyers want to achieve a conditional prison sentence for Teichtmeister. This is the only way the actor accused of consuming and producing child pornography material can avoid being placed in a forensic therapy center. Accordingly, Teichtmeister should plead guilty.
The penalty is up to three years imprisonment. A panel of judges made up of two professional judges and two lay judges is to decide on Teichtmeister’s fate.
Process raises security issues
The Teichtmeister trial was originally scheduled for February: there were already demonstrations there too.
© IMAGO/SEPA.Media
Meanwhile, a demonstration that took place on Saturday in Langenlois, Lower Austria, where the mother of the former television star lived, under the motto “Teichtmeister, we are coming” is causing discussions. Among other things, participants are said to have demanded the “death penalty for Teichtmeister” and carried a gallows through the town.
The demonstration was organized by Martin Rutter, a well-known opponent of vaccination and corona denier, who repeatedly stands out with close ties to the right-wing scene. As early as February, Rutter is said to have demonstrated in an illustrious group at the trial against Teichtmeister, which burst at the time: The right-wing extremist Gottfried Küssel and key members of the Corona denier scene also took part in the protest.
The process also raises security issues. After the demo, the regional court and the police are on high alert.
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As the State Police Directorate on WHAT-Inquiry announced that a meeting on the topic “Hands off our children” will be held in the vicinity of the regional court for Tuesday. The rally, registered by a private individual, will extend from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. from Landesgerichtsstraße to Wickenburggasse. 250 participants are expected. When asked how many officers were deployed to ensure security at the Teichtmeister hearing, the police press office referred to “several hundred officers” who would be “on a large scale” in the coming days, “because there is also a week of protests by climate activists and activists and other major events take place in Vienna”.
Court spokeswoman Christina Salzborn confirmed on Monday afternoon that the judiciary would also take increased security precautions. The security forces in the court have been increased. The judiciary must ensure that Teichtmeister, who is accused of possessing and creating a total of 76,000 files depicting child and adolescent abuse, is brought to court unharmed and that his physical integrity is guaranteed in connection with the trial. In this regard, the regional court has been in close contact with the police for days.
“It’s already moving in the direction of healthy popular sentiment and the People’s Court,” commented defense attorney Mayer on the most recent excesses surrounding the Teichtmeister trial. “If that’s not an actor, nobody cares.” However, his client is confident that there will be no “celebrity penalty” for him in court, Mayer said: “He is certain that this procedure, like any other procedure, will be governed by the rule of law and unaffected by any demonstrations.” (TT.com/APA)
