Austria plans to take action against online hate speech after suicide of a doctor

VIENNA, Aug. 7 (DPA/EP) –

Austrian security and judicial authorities have planned to take a tougher stance against online hate speech following the suicide of a doctor who received death threats for defending COVID-19 vaccines.

The Minister for the European Union and Constitutional Affairs, Karoline Edtstadler, has indicated that she is studying the creation of a prosecutor’s office specialized in the prosecution of online hate, according to the Austrian press agency APA.

On the other hand, the Minister of Justice, Alma Zadic, has rejected this initiative and has announced that she plans to work with the Minister of the Interior, Gerhard Karner, to provide more resources to the Police and Prosecutor’s Office, to bring the perpetrators to justice without undue delays.

“These investigations often take too long, which of course is extremely stressful for the victims,” ​​he said, pointing out what, in his opinion, is the problem.

These political moves came a day after Austrian officials said they would work with German prosecutors to hunt down the people who made death threats on social media against Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, a 36-year-old doctor who committed suicide.

The doctor, who spoke out in the fight against the pandemic, was the subject of a wave of death threats from critics of the government’s containment measures.

The Austrian authorities have been accused of not providing enough support.