A homeless Austrian man who vandalised dozens of memorials to victims of
the Nazis in Salzburg was on Friday sentenced to five years in jail.
The 40-year-old serial vandal, who was not named, was accused of 53 acts
of vandalism including destroying a monument to euthanasia victims and of
daubing black paint five times on a memorial to members of the resistance.
In addition he was accused of defacing 10 “stumbling blocks”,
small brass plaques in honour of people murdered by the Nazis inserted into
pavements in front of their old homes.
Prosecutors said the Austrian man also painted Nazi symbols on schools,
student halls and offices of political parties between 2013 and 2015, causing
damage worth 90,000 euros ($103,000).
The court in the western Austrian city found him guilty in the
overwhelming majority of the incidents, court spokesman Martin Pfarrkirchner
told the Austria Press Agency.
Prosecutors said they would appeal the ruling.
They said he was motived by Nazi ideology but defence lawyers said he
was frustrated by his general situation and at being refused access to homeless
shelters.
“He had a grudge against
the state,” defence lawyer Joerg Dostal told the court.
