Image: OÖN
Did an alleged “Reichsbürger” (54) and his wife (40) live illegally and unannounced for months with their six children, who were not reported to the authorities, in a wine cellar in Lower Austria, shielded by a heavy security door and surveillance cameras? The police and youth welfare office have been investigating this bizarre case since Thursday.
Hadres is a tranquil community in the Hollabrunn district with a centuries-old wine tradition. The old, ground-floor press houses with their earthen cellars are lined up in the Weingasse. The locals succinctly call these buildings “basement,” as Erich Greil, the deputy mayor of Hadres, said in an OÖN interview.
The press houses and cellars are neither legally approved for permanent living nor suitable for small children, says Greil. Only wine tasting and cultural events are allowed.
Nevertheless, a few months ago an unknown gentleman, a native of Austria, turned up in the village and bought five or six of these cellars at a price of 10,000 to 40,000 euros each through an English company. He moved into one, but without registering with the commune where he lived. His 40-year-old partner and the couple’s six alleged children were also not reported. The oldest should be five years old and the youngest just seven months old.
Father attacked officials
When complaints from residents about the surveillance cameras installed in the entrance area of the approximately 70 square meter press house and rumors about children’s voices in the basement, which suddenly fell silent when strangers approached the building, arose, a representative of the municipality and the district authority checked there on Thursday.
The 54-year-old is said to have attacked the two officials with pepper spray. The two officers alerted the police, but the man barricaded himself in the wine cellar. The public prosecutor ordered a house search, and the 54-year-old was temporarily arrested.
children not neglected
The six children were taken to a hospital with their mother for examination. According to the doctors, they were not neglected. Until the case was clarified, they were placed in the care of the district administration. The deputy mayor says that he saw the children taking a walk and they greeted him in a friendly manner.
He could not say whether the alleged father is a “Reich citizen”. According to the police, both parents are a blank slate.
Video: That’s what the police say
Source: Nachrichten
