Innsbruck judiciary pursues legal action against hate speech posters

Judicial officials in Innsbruck have announced rigorous legal action against individuals posting hate speech and threats online following the acquittals in the ‘Schmotzer case’. Andreas Stutter, President of the Regional Court, and Klaus-Dieter Gosch, President of the Higher Regional Court, held a press conference under police protection to address the situation.

Officials reported a surge in online harassment, including accusations of corruption against the presiding judge, as well as numerous threatening phone calls. Specific threats included wishes for the judge to suffer a ‘painful death’. In response, the court stated that those responsible for the hate speech and telephone threats will receive summons from the public prosecutor's office.

Regarding the original verdict, Andreas Stutter explained that the acquittal was based on the principle of ‘in dubio pro reo’ (benefit of the doubt), noting that expert testimony left doubts as to whether a cat felt pain during the incident. Police are currently monitoring the residence of the judge involved.