The 65-year-old from the Russian Federation is also said to come from the homeless community and is staying in Austria illegally and without a permanent residence. The man was taken to the Graz-Jakomini prison. The victim’s life is still in danger.
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The 65-year-old is believed to have poured a flammable liquid on the victim, who according to the police was sleeping in the entrance area of a stationery store, around 12:40 a.m. and set him on fire. When they were compared, the witnesses to the incident at Lendplatz clearly recognized the man as the man who had left the crime scene there around midnight, according to the police. The alleged canister turned out to be a light-colored small bag that the suspect had been carrying. An examination of the crime scene at Lendplatz revealed that no fire-accelerating liquid had apparently been used.
When questioned, the suspect did not confess, but admitted that he had lit a fire that night to warm himself. He didn’t notice anyone else. The suspect is taken to the Graz-Jakomini prison by order of the Graz public prosecutor’s office.
Suffered severe burns
The fire was quickly extinguished, said police spokesman Fritz Grundnig in response to an APA request. The victim was taken to the Graz Regional Hospital with severe burns. According to the doctors treating him, the man is in a life-threatening condition. Martin Trampusch from the professional fire brigade stationed at Lendplatz said in response to an APA request that a fire engine was sent after the alarm was raised. “Passers-by cared for a person on a park bench.” The victim was no longer on fire, but the fire in the entrance area was. The fire department provided first aid until rescue arrived and extinguished the flames.
The aid organization Caritas Steiermark visited and looked after the victim in the days before the crime and also the evening before around 10 p.m., it said in a broadcast. “Accommodation in an emergency shelter was offered, but the person concerned did not take advantage of it.”
Attack condemned
Caritas and the aid organization VinziWerke condemned the attack and appealed to other homeless people to accept emergency sleeping accommodation offered. Caritas Styria director Nora Tödtling-Musenbichler: “We are shocked and deeply affected by this new dimension of violence against homeless people, which we strongly condemn.” And Amrita Böker from VinziWerken: “The fact that a person who lives in great poverty is also the victim of such a brutal act of violence fills me with shock, sadness and anger.”
Mayor Elke Kahr (KPÖ) also condemned the act. “There are no words that can be found for such an inhumane and cruel act. This attack shows how vulnerable people are who have no roof over their heads and sleep outside.” She hopes that the victim will recover and the crime will be solved. There is “a close-knit network to support the homeless” and “a sufficient number of emergency sleeping places” in Graz, says Kahr. Nobody is forced to spend the night outdoors.
