A trans-identified male nurse in Austria has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the brutal murder of his elderly patient. The assailant, a 24 year-old from Slovakia, repeatedly stabbed his elderly patient last year after a dispute broke out over his gender identity.
The murder occurred on the evening of October 5 at the victim’s home in Geretsberg where the nurse was providing on-call care. Due to Austria’s strict privacy laws, neither the identity of the victim nor assailant is known, but Reduxx had learned that the nurse had been working under the masculine name “Paul” and was active in LGBT groups in Vienna. Though he is legally a male, “Paul” was referred to as a “woman” in court by witnesses and the defense.
While the motive for the crime was initially unclear, it was later revealed that the nurse attacked the 82-year-old paralyzed pensioner after the topic of the nurse’s gender identity was brought up. He went to the kitchen and retrieved multiple knives, stabbing the man eleven times in the upper body, abdomen, face and head. Following the attack, “Paul” called the victim’s stepdaughter, who immediately alerted the police.
Emergency responders initially found the man alive and attempted to stabilize him, but the victim died of his injuries at the scene.
The nurse was immediately arrested, but was taken to the psychiatric unit at the Kepler University Hospital at Neuromed after demonstrating extreme aggression and “massive psychological abnormalities.”
Staff initially believed he was under the influence of drugs due to his behavior, but a blood test only found alcohol in his system. While he claimed to have effectively “blacked out” during the killing, it was ultimately determined that “Paul” had no serious mental illness which would have impacted his legal accountability for his actions.
After being interrogated by police, the nurse immediately admitted to the killing, and claimed the attack had been the result of the victim “teasing” him due to his gender identity and making transphobic remarks. Later examination also revealed that “Paul” had separated from his boyfriend earlier that day, something that was described as a “trigger” for his impulsive behavior.
According to Puls24, psychiatric expert Adelheid Kastner testified that “Paul” had an extremely high risk of recidivism, and admission to a forensic-psychiatric center was recommended. After a short jury trial with a unanimous verdict, “Paul” was sentenced to 20 years in prison on March 26.
While he is currently being held at a men’s prison, “Paul” may seek eventual transfer to a women’s facility if he is able to change his legal documents and receive a recommendation from a psychologist.
Austria currently assesses transgender inmates on a “case-by-case” basis, though the Government has acknowledged that sex-segregated facilities must exist.
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