Father of dead Leon acquitted in Austria
In the Austrian region of Tyrol, a young boy dies under mysterious circumstances during a walk. Investigators focus on the father, whose strange explanation raises questions. However, the court has now ruled in his favor.
The father accused of murdering his six-year-old son, Leon, has been acquitted. The jury at Innsbruck Regional Court found it unproven that the 39-year-old pushed his mentally disabled child into a river. Leon drowned in a river during a walk with his father in St. Johann in Tyrol in the summer of 2022.
The defendant, a German national, had always maintained his innocence. He claimed that he was attacked and knocked unconscious by a robber. His son then got out of the stroller and fell into the river. However, investigators found inconsistencies in his story. Six months after the incident, the father was arrested on suspicion of murder.
The boy's mother, who testified in the trial, said she didn't believe her husband was capable of murder. She described him as a loving father. Experts' reports also played a significant role in the trial. One expert suggested that the defendant's version of events was unlikely. The 39-year-old's head injuries were not severe enough to cause prolonged unconsciousness.
The prosecution pointed out that the alleged unknown assailant did not even attempt to unlock the defendant's phone. The smartphone was found in a nearby trash can and only had the defendant's fingerprints on it.
Despite the prosecution's arguments about the phone and the lack of a struggle, the jury concluded that manslaughter, not murder, was not proven in the case. Regardless of the acquittal, the shadows of suspicion surrounding the father's account of murders and manslaughter will remain unsettling.
