After the death of doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, Austria’s justice and interior ministries want to enable the police and public prosecutors to take victims seriously and track down perpetrators promptly.
After the death of an Austrian doctor who had been involved in protective measures during the corona pandemic, Austria’s judiciary and security authorities are to be better equipped to fight hate online. Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens) announced this.
The doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr had been exposed to massive death threats from the scene of the opponents of the measures for months and had therefore repeatedly contacted the police and authorities. Since the suicide of the 36-year-old doctor about a week ago, they have been accused of not taking enough care of the case and abandoning the woman.
After a number of threats, Kellermayr initially made her practice safer at her own expense, but then closed it at the end of June. “My case,” she explained on Twitter at the time, “is known to all political parties represented in Parliament. And has been for months. I’ve really done everything a person can do to get help. Now I’m on Reached the end of the road. Hence this step.”
She had not received police protection, rather a tweet by the Upper Austrian police in November had led to the doctor being pursued even more. There was talk of a false report by Kellermayr, which was not entirely correct, but prompted opponents of the corona measures to really attack the doctor.
“This investigation often takes too long”
Justice Minister Zadic said that she would work together with Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP) to give every police station and public prosecutor’s office the necessary resources and tools to take all victims seriously and to hold perpetrators accountable in a timely manner. “This research often takes too long, which is of course extremely stressful for those affected,” she said.
Investigations into the Kellermayr case are now also under way in Germany. On Friday, the apartment of a 59-year-old man accused of threatening and stalking Kellermayr was searched in Upper Bavaria.
Editor’s Note: We have chosen to be very cautious in reporting on suicides or attempted suicides. The reason is the high rate of copycats after every report on suicide. If you feel affected yourself, please contact the telephone counseling service immediately (www.telefonseelsorge.de). You can call the free hotline 0800-1110111 or 0800-1110222 to get help from advisors who, in many cases, have been able to point out ways out of difficult situations.