School threat avoidance through alternative measures rather than punishment before educational activities
In the quiet town of Neusiedl am See, a 15-year-old student found himself in the midst of a serious incident at the end of April 2025. The student, who will remain unnamed due to his age, wrote an Amok threat on a paper dispenser in a school toilet.
The events unfolded during a math class when the student's classmate asked if anyone wanted to do the homework. The classmate suggested writing Amok somewhere, and the student borrowed a permanent marker from one classmate and a plastic glove from another.
Both boys, unaware of the gravity of their actions, were suspended from school and have since changed schools. During the trial at the Eisenstadt Regional Court, the perpetrator claimed that the defendant knew about the Amok threat and was present when it was written. However, the defendant maintained his innocence, stating that he did not support the perpetrator and did not see him write the threat.
The Austrian legal system takes a firm stance against secondary involvement in such incidents. While specific Austrian statutes on school bomb threats could not be found, the general principles of Austrian criminal law hold that anyone who assists, encourages, or facilitates the commission of a criminal act can be prosecuted as an accessory or co-perpetrator.
In this case, the defendant was charged under provisions related to threats and public endangerment. The authorities' approach reflects a broader European context, which strictly enforces laws against all participants in threats to public safety, including schools.
The defendant, during police questioning, did not represent that he knew about the Amok threat or was present when it was written. His mistake, he claimed, was not reporting the incident and staying silent. Despite his plea of not guilty, the defendant received a legally binding diversion with a probation period of two years, the same punishment as the perpetrator.
This incident serves as a reminder of the importance of reporting suspicious activities and the consequences of remaining silent. The Austrian legal system, like many others, takes a comprehensive approach to school safety and threat management, ensuring that all parties involved in such incidents are held accountable.
[1] European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. (2018). Misuse of communication systems to issue threats. https://fra.europa.eu/en/publication/2018/misuse-communication-systems-issue-threats [2] European Commission. (2018). Enhancing school security: A European approach. https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/enhancing-school-security-european-approach_en [4] United States Department of Education. (n.d.). School safety and security. https://www.ed.gov/safety/index.html
- General news reports from Neusiedl am See reveal a 15-year-old student, despite not being the primary perpetrator in a school threat incident, was held accountable, receiving the same punishment as the student who wrote the Amok threat.
- This incident in the education-and-self-development sector, underlined by the Austrian legal system's comprehensive approach to school safety and threat management, underscores the importance of crime-and-justice policies that address any form of secondary involvement in threats to public safety, as demonstrated by European, national, and international efforts.
