In Linz, candles were set up around the fountain at the Taubenmarkt and flowers were laid in front of a picture by Kellermayr. After a short speech by the organizer, the crowd stood in silent devotion for a long time.
In Wels, the regional court – and thus also the quarters of the public prosecutor’s office – were commemorated. Since the suicide, the police and prosecutors have been criticized for doing too little to investigate the perpetrators and protect the doctor. Organizer Maximilian Friedl said in an interview with the APA that he did not want to exploit the suicide politically, so he registered the event as a private person. Friedl is active in the Junge Linke Wels. Candles were lit and flowers laid in front of the building, and the participants gathered for a silent commemoration of the medic.
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The doctor had been threatened for months – obviously from the anti-vaccination scene. On her website she also published letters she received containing drastic death threats. According to her own statements, she recently invested a total of around 100,000 euros out of her own pocket in the security of her practice. In June, she initially closed the ordination temporarily before finally announcing the permanent closure. Working conditions “like the ones we have experienced in the last few months” cannot be expected of anyone, she justified the step. On Friday she committed suicide in her ordination.
The “Kronen Zeitung” reported at the weekend that Kellermayr had severely criticized the state police headquarters and the Upper Austrian Medical Association in farewell letters. The medical association asserted that the colleague had been offered all the help that was possible. The police did not want to say anything about the suicide note. The public prosecutor’s office in Wels dropped the preliminary investigation against a German suspect in June – on the grounds that they were not responsible, but German authorities. In Austria, however, the police are still investigating against unknown perpetrators.
The executive SPÖ chairman Michael Lindner now called for “quick clarity as to whether there were omissions on the part of the state police headquarters in Upper Austria. A precise, transparent processing is the order of the day.” Existing laws against hate online would not help “if the threat to those affected is not seen and taken seriously”.
Are you in a desperate situation and need help? Talk to other people about it. This offers help for people with suicidal thoughts and their relatives Ministry of Health Suicide Prevention Portal. You can find contact details for aid organizations in Austria here. Information for young people is available at www.bittelebe.at
Source: Nachrichten
