A severe case of bullying at a school in Vöcklabruck, Austria, has prompted police investigations and led to the expulsion of five students with immigrant backgrounds after a 15-year-old boy was violently abused over several months.
The victim, whose name has been withheld, is a student at HTL Vöcklabruck, and was reportedly harassed, beaten, choked, and humiliated by five classmates — all 20 years old and of Afghan, Turkish, and Albanian origin. According to multiple sources who spoke with Kronen Zeitung, the abuse lasted for over half a year and included being whipped with belts and filmed while being subjected to degrading treatment.
One of the more shocking incidents was captured on video: Peter was pushed out of a window from a mezzanine floor. While he escaped serious physical injury on that occasion, the psychological damage has led to Peter being unable to return to school. He is now on medical leave, reportedly too traumatized to complete the academic year.
“Physically, he’s doing better,” said the anonymous source who brought the case to light. “But psychologically, he’s very weak. He won’t go back to school. He just can’t finish the year after what happened.”
The abuse only came to light two weeks ago after an anonymous whistleblower contacted the press. That source claimed the violence was not only frequent but escalated without intervention, even as students circulated videos of the assaults.
A German teacher reportedly responded to the abuse by having the perpetrators write an essay titled “Violence and its effects.”
After media pressure and direct inquiries to the school board and principal, the situation rapidly changed. On Wednesday, it was confirmed that the five accused students had been expelled. The Upper Austrian Directorate of Education stated that the school had filed a police report and suspended the individuals. A formal decision on permanent expulsion is expected following a conference scheduled for Thursday.
The Upper Austria State Police Directorate confirmed that several individuals had been reported for assault and that investigations are ongoing. Due to the sensitivity of the case and the age of those involved, further details have not been released.
Teachers at the school have collected the disturbing video evidence and handed it over to authorities.
A national conversation in Austria about violence in schools was sparked earlier this month after one of the deadliest school shootings in the country’s history occurred at a school in Graz. On June 10, a 21-year-old former student of the BORG Dreierschützengasse opened fire, killing 10 people and injuring dozens of others before taking his own life in a school restroom.
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