A 50-year-old caregiver stands accused of drugging and robbing a dependent 66-year-old woman in Vienna-Floridsdorf. Police reports indicate the caregiver stole the victim’s ATM and credit cards. Crucially, at the time of the alleged crime, the caregiver was under electronic monitoring, wearing an ankle monitor due to a prior conviction for a similar offense. Her 29-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son are also implicated. All three individuals were arrested, as announced by police spokesman Markus Dittrich on Tuesday.
Crime Details Emerge in Floridsdorf
The victim, a long-term wheelchair user residing in the Floridsdorf district of Stammersdorf, relies entirely on external care due to a severe illness. She first encountered the 50-year-old caregiver through an online platform. For approximately six months, the caregiver provided services without incident. However, police believe the caregiver took the victim’s bank cards sometime around the end of November.
Unauthorized withdrawals from the victim’s accounts continued for over a month, lasting at least until January 6th. The 66-year-old noticed these suspicious financial activities. On January 20th, she reported the caregiver to a police station, accompanied by another individual. This report triggered an investigation by the State Criminal Police Office, North Branch.
The investigation uncovered that the caregiver, her daughter, and her son subsequently used the stolen cards to withdraw cash. The total financial damage inflicted on the vulnerable victim amounted to nearly 5,000 euros. Following their arrests, all three suspects have reportedly refused to provide testimony to authorities.
A Repeat Offender Under Electronic Supervision
The case highlights a significant lapse in community supervision. Investigators confirmed the 50-year-old caregiver had a history of serious crime. She had previously been sentenced to five years for robbery, specifically involving the use of narcotics. After serving a portion of her sentence, she was released under conditions that included being fitted with an ankle monitor. This device, often a GPS ankle bracelet, is a standard tool for offender tracking and electronic tagging, designed to monitor individuals’ whereabouts and ensure compliance with release terms.
Despite this form of electronic monitoring, the caregiver allegedly committed another grave offense, again targeting a vulnerable individual and involving medication. This raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of such devices as a deterrent for repeat offenders, particularly those with a history of exploiting vulnerable populations.
This incident underscores the complex challenges within electronic monitoring programs. While tools like the ankle monitor are crucial for offender tracking and managing risks in community supervision, this case demonstrates that technology alone cannot always prevent determined individuals from re-offending. It necessitates a broader look at how monitoring integrates with comprehensive rehabilitative and risk assessment strategies for those under electronic tagging.
Source: Nurse with Ankle Monitor Drugged and Robbed Dependent in Vienna-Floridsdorf
