Vienna: 14-year-old boy remains in custody for planning terror attack

A 14-year-old boy in Vienna is accused of planning a terrorist attack against the Westbahnhof train station and will remain in pre-trial detention for one month. Despite the boy’s young age, the judge has ordered the extraordinary measure due to the persistent risk of committing the crime. The suspect status will be re-evaluated at the end of the one-month detention. The boy was arrested on February 10 after a tip from the intelligence service. Police found knives, suspected bomb-making utensils, and an IS flag in his room in Vienna-Wahring. They also found a sketch portraying a building with “Westbahnhof” written over it. The teenager was active on TikTok where he posted Islamist content.
Defense lawyer Anna Mair complained that the judge’s decision was influenced by the recent terrorist attack in Villach. The investigation is ongoing, and the suspect’s cell phone will likely be analyzed in the coming weeks.