In the legal dispute between the former “oe24” moderator Raphaela Scharf and media producer Wolfgang Fellner (“Austria”), a comparison is in the offing. At a hearing at the Vienna Labor and Social Court (ASG), the lawyers on both sides considered an agreement on 65,000 euros in damages for Scharf. The latter took action against being summarily fired three years ago after alleging that Fellner groped her during a photo shoot. Fellner denies an assault.
Scharf’s lawyer Michael Rami and Fellner’s lawyers (Kristina Venturini and Georg Zanger) will probably agree on a settlement in the coming days, which would end the proceedings before the ASG, but also one before the Equal Treatment Commission.
Rami initially demanded two and a half years’ salary for Scharf. The other side then objected that Scharf’s earnings since her dismissal should be deducted. The judge stated that Scharf was entitled to some damages insignificant from her earnings since the release. In addition, one must consider that it would be in Fellner’s interest if a comparison were made. After all, Scharf would be “practically irredeemable” if he were reinstated.
After Zanger and Venturini had spoken to Fellner twice on the phone, 65,000 euros in damages was the latter sum in court. Venturini does not assume that the comparison could still fail.
In view of the 65,000 euros, Rami spoke of an “acceptable result”. He sees this as an acknowledgment that the dismissal was wrong.
Raphaela Scharf was relieved in front of media representatives. The past three years have been an “absolute burden” for her. “I’m not argumentative. It’s about justice for me. I was unjustly fired and I don’t see that something like this can happen when you point things out in the company,” said the journalist.
Source: Nachrichten
