Saber Akhondzada, an asylum seeker suspected of stabbing to death his 16-year-old girlfriend in the Austrian city of Steyr, has been allowed to stay in the country, as he is wanted on murder charges in his home country Afghanistan. Austria notably does not deport people facing a death sentence in another country.
The 17-year-old suspect, who, according to local media, was brought into the Western country in the spring of 2016 by human traffickers, handed himself over to Vienna police yesterday after reportedly escaping through the window from his girlfriend Michelle’s bedroom, where she was found lying lifeless, having sustained two deadly stabs in the back, an autopsy revealed.
According to Michelle’s family, the couple had recurring rows, with possessive Akhondzada, who was notably denied asylum after he signed up for it upon arrival, reacting violently to the girl talking to other men and thus trying to intimidate her.
Thomas Stelzer, of the conservative Austrian People's Party, stressed in a statement on Tuesday that the country is witnessing “rising crime amongst young asylum seekers", especially among Afghans.
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According to the Crime and Safety report by the United States Department of State, Austria is targeted by largely foreign criminals, with 64 percent of drug-related offences being carried out by criminals who are born abroad.