Jugendgerichtsbarkeit#

Juvenile Penal Law: Austria has a special criminal code for juveniles, which is valid from the Criminal Responsibility, Age of until the age of 19 (Jugendgerichtsgesetz 1988 = juvenile court law, 1988).

There are juvenile courts in Vienna (Jugendgerichtshof), Graz, and Linz. Criminal proceedings are adapted to the situation of accused juveniles, and disciplinary measures can be chosen from a broad range of possibilities, in order to find the most appropriate means of preventing further offences in each individual case. The imposition of unconditional penalties is the most extreme of these. Particular features are: 1) waiver of prosecution with or without a judge´s warning, 2) closing of the case following satisfactory compensation for the misdeed out of court, 3) provisional closing of the case for a trial period or if certain conditions are fulfilled. In addition, legal dispositions can be made with regard to family or juvenile welfare (care orders to remove a juvenile from unsatisfactory surroundings, etc.).

In principle, applicable penalties are half of the maximum amount; there is no minimum penalty and no life imprisonment sentence. The juvenile penal system has its own regulations and penal institutions or units. Information about criminal records is only obtainable under limited circumstances, and criminal records are erased after a shorter period of time than for adults. Of special significance are the ancillary Probation and juvenile court assistance services. The social workers and psychologists in the latter institution assist the court, particularly by presenting inquiry material.

Literature#