Austria mourns 10 victims of 'abominable' school shooting
Mourners cried, hugged and left flowers, candles and letters to the victims in churches and outside the school in Austria's second-largest city of Graz.
The government declared three days of mourning for the victims of Tuesday's shooting at the Dreierschuetzengasse secondary school, including a national moment of silence on Wednesday morning.
Church bells rang out across Austria as people stopped in the streets, radio and TV programmes were interrupted and public transport was halted.
A teacher and nine teenagers, including a Franco-Austrian and a Polish national, aged between 14 and 17, were among the victims, Austrian press agency APA reported.
Of the eleven people wounded, nine were still in intensive care but in a stable condition on Wednesday, according to hospital officials.
Hundreds of people also rushed to donate blood, responding to a call from the Red Cross.
At a memorial event on Wednesday, one student recalled the moment the children realised there was a shooter.
She said students were "running for their lives" as older children tried to protect the younger ones.
Police said the alleged perpetrator was an Austrian from the Graz region who used two legally owned weapons -- a shotgun and a pistol.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The South African
25-07-2025
- The South African
SPCA to investigate Tshwane man who threatened to beat dog
The Tshwane division of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) is investigating a viral clip of a man threatening to beat his dog. In a clip posted on X, user @pookiepolls posted a clip filmed by a Johannesburg man who had raised concerns about his neighbour, who had threatened to beat his dog. The neighbour launched a profanity-filled rant in response. He said, 'How is it any of your business? It's not your dog….When you hear my dog screaming next time, you shut your mouth! I'm going to go there and beat it again, because it's my business, it's my dog.' The clip has been widely shared on the X platform, and many South Africans have raised concerns about the animal's welfare. The NSPCA responded to several X posts stating that the Tshwane branch would investigate the man. The SPCA has repeatedly warned the public that animal abusers can be criminally charged under the Animals Protection Act (APA) 71 of 1962. The act – which was established to prevent the cruelty of animals – stipulates that those found guilty can face a fine or imprisonment. Offenders can also face a denial of ownership – preventing them from owning animals – as well as a criminal conviction. According to the SPCA, the APA makes provisions for individuals who also infuriate or terrify animals. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
IOL News
18-07-2025
- IOL News
Letters: Why would you want to listen to boring old Ramaphosa rattle on when there's thrilling Wimbledon on TV?
How tennis contrasts with corruption What did you do on Sunday evening, watch the exciting match between Sinner and Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final or listen to the same old drivel from President Cyril Ramaphosa? The showdown between Sinner and Alcaraz, world Number 1 and world number 2, was such a big contrast to the woman's final the previous day. Amanda Anisimova was left in tears when she was demolished by Polish star Iga Swiatek in two straight sets in just 57 minutes. The American didn't even win one game. In 114 years Wimbledon had not witnessed such a boring, one- sided game. Nevertheless credit must be given to the ruthless Swiatek who not only won her maiden Wimbledon title but also made history by becoming first Polish to win Wimbledon. But the men's final was a humdinger. Though Alcaraz fought like a matador he was out classed by the cool Italian, Jannik Sinner who held his nerve and won his first Wimbledon trophy. Now with Wimbledon dishing up such a mouth-watering clash who would want to spoil their Sunday evening and listen to the president's insipid address? Haven't we all heard it before? How many commissions, enquiries, dialogues, working committees and meetings must a country have? What's ironical and even annoying is that Ramaphosa is very particular about following correct procedure when it comes to bringing wayward ministers and officials to book yet his government is riven by mismanagement, inefficiency and corruption. How often correct procedure is not followed in the awarding of tenders and procurement? And what about him? Can the corrupt act against another corrupt? The accusations against the Minister of Police re serious and need action, not another long drawn out, expensive commission. Why couldn't he, for once, act decisively, call the two men, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and KZN National Commissioner of Police Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, to his office, let them fight it out and then he, as the referee, dismiss the loser? If he could fire the DA's Deputy Trade Minister Andrew Whitfield for undertaking an unauthorised trip to the US why couldn't he do the same against Mchunu? It would save the country so much money. Now the taxpayer will have to pay two people for the same job, one acting and the other sitting at home twiddling thumbs. But he wants to pass the buck to a commission. It could end up like the Zondo Commission. Not that the Zondo Commission which cost R1 billion was a failure but no one implicated in state capture has yet been charged. What a waste of public money! \What is he a president for if cannot act decisively at crucial times? How we need a strong man at the top who will put the country first and act without fear or favour against the corrupt, not a dawdler like Ramaphosa! | Thyagaraj Markandan Kloof World hypocrisy stinks badly THIS is not war – this is industrial-scale slaughter carried out with foreign-backed money and weapons. Every bomb that reduces a Gaza neighbourhood to rubble carries the fingerprints of powerful nations, and every bullet that tears through a child's body was financed by taxpayers around the world. Our inaction is our signature on the execution tell us these are 'precision strikes', but where is the precision in bombing a refugee camp to kill one man and murdering 126 civilians instead? Where is the accuracy in shelling a UN school sheltering displaced families, leaving the walls painted with children's blood? These aren't military operations – they're extermination campaigns. Day after day, body bags are stacking higher as they methodically dismantle an entire people, house by house, school by school, life by 'self-defence' looks like this: Children butchered with shrapnel. Babies baked alive in incubators turned coffins. Elderly people shot in the face while surrendering. What defence needs to kill 15 000 children? What security requires bombing hospitals full of patients? What is happening in Gaza cannot be explained away with speeches or softened with political language, because there is nothing complex about dropping bombs on starving children, nothing confusing about blowing up hospitals, schools, and bakeries filled with families who have nowhere else to run, and nothing justifiable about destroying an entire population while claiming it is for security. In Rafah, Israeli bombs hit a tent camp filled with families who fled there because the Israeli Defence Forces told them it was 'safe'. The fire melted children alive. Rescue workers found babies cooked inside their mothers' arms, their tiny bodies fused together by the heat. This happened on May 26 last year. And all our leaders did was sanitise the bloodshed with press conference smiles. ' At Al-Shifa Hospital, doctors performed C-sections on dead women because the bombs came too fast to save them. In Jabalia, Israeli tanks rolled over wounded civilians begging for help, crushing them into the dirt like cockroaches. In Khan Younis, Israeli tanks bulldozed through residential blocks, crushing entire families as if they were debris. When survivors dug through the rubble days later, they found a mother clutching her three children, their bodies crushed together so tightly that rescuers had to bury them in a single grave. The world's hypocrisy stinks worse than Gaza's overflowing morgues. The same politicians who cried over Ukrainian children now justify Palestinian children's deaths. The same outlets that blast Kashmir's resistance are silent when Israel starves babies. This isn't deception – it's the open slaughter of equality, where racism decides which children get to dream and which ones get buried. Yumna Zahid Ali l Pakistan Dumping: cleaning up rivers not enough MANDELA Day is a time when individuals, companies, and institutions commit themselves to making a difference, often by dedicating 67 minutes to good deeds that benefit others. For the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), this day is an opportunity to take action through its annual Clear River Campaign, which mobilises efforts to clean rivers across the is the most valuable resource we have as humans; without it, we would not exist. It is crucial to keep our rivers and streams clear of pollutants and rubbish, as this has an adverse effect on the towns downstream. The Department of Water and Sanitation embarks on the Clear River Campaign annually to clean rivers but more importantly, to educate communities about not polluting the water resources. The campaign has been running for years, but it seems that annually, the same rivers that were cleaned the year prior still remain polluted by the nearby communities. While DWS continues to engage in public participation and awareness drives, the outcomes suggest that the message is not landing where it matters most. Community members frequently cite the failure of municipal waste collection services as a major reason for illegal dumping. If there is no accessible or consistent refuse removal, people feel they have no other option. The prescribed solution is for all spheres of government and communities to work together with the goal of ending pollution of rivers and streams. If dumping continues, the cost of cleaning polluted water places a heavy financial burden on water services providers, especially municipalities. Preventing pollution is not only more sustainable but also far more affordable than dealing with its consequences. Behaviours once learned are hard to unlearn. But progress is possible when we commit to consistent effort and collaboration. The Department of Water and Sanitation remains committed to the cause. It may not happen overnight, but with persistence and a shared vision, lasting change is within reach. | Larry Crisp Free State Department of Water and Sanitation DAILY NEWS
The Citizen
11-07-2025
- The Citizen
‘All in the name of God': Murder and abuse allegations rock KZN rehab centre
A facility meant to heal has become the centre of allegations involving torture, forced conversions, and a brutal regime masquerading as recovery. Tetelestai Recovery Centre (TRC) in Winklespruit, KwaZuluNatal, is at the centre of controversy following the alleged murder of inpatient Luke Edwards, 32. Former residents have come forward on social media and to The Citizen with allegations of brutality including violence, psychological torture, sexual exploitation and physical abuse. All were purportedly meted out in the name of God, under the eye of proprietor Donovan de Klerk. A death shrouded in abuse and isolation In April, Edwards' body was found dumped at an old age home up the road from Tetelestai. While the state autopsy results remain outstanding, The Citizen has seen pictures which appear to show he had been severely beaten. According to testimony in court, Edwards tried to escape from the facility on 9 April after being placed in isolation and denied adequate food. It was then alleged that four inpatients called monitors, who oversee fellow residents, beat him to eventual death. The four alleged killers Lloyd Ramsbottom, 29, Banele Mseleku, 24, Jean Pierre Van Niekerk, 28, and Njabulo Brandon Dlamini, 28, pleaded not guilty and were granted bail on Wednesday after first being denied bail last week. Tetelestai Recovery Centre owner Donovan de Klerk. Picture: Supplied Fear, control and 'therapy' by punishment The centre is run by De Klerk, a recovering addict, his wife Laticia and a friend. According to Google, 'Tetelestai' is a Greek word meaning 'it is finished' or 'it is completed' and purportedly the last words Jesus said on the cross. Macy, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, sought help at Tetelestai two years ago. She said she left traumatised and stripped of dignity. ALSO READ: Dentist on murder rap after Austrian dies in 'rehab' From the day of intake, she said, all personal freedoms were confiscated. People are then placed in isolation for up to a few weeks, medication taken away and they are detoxed under the watchful eye of monitors, or recovering addicts, she said. 'People are left in there to scream in a locked room for days on end,' Macy said. Claims of humiliation and forced labour Macy said her days at TRC were filled with enduring and witnessing degrading punishments disguised as therapy. She was frequently forced to scrub floors and tiles for hours with a toothbrush, repeatedly ordered to clean the same spot. Speaking up in protest meant harsher punishment. 'It wasn't therapy. It was abuse. They humiliate you to control you,' she said. 'All in the name of God.' Private investigator Brad Nathanson, retained by the Edwards family to probe the alleged murder of their son, said his investigation unearthed numerous, consistent reports of abuse, including violent punishments and coercion. The investigator's Facebook page became an outlet for many former inpatients to ventilate their experiences, none positive. Nathanson said TRC lacked medical professionals to appropriately manage addicts, violated safety standards and used patients for unpaid, harsh punishment-labour under constant surveillance. Luke Edwards' body. Picture: Supplied Alleged danger, violence and survival inside TRC Jack, a pseudonym, was a former patient who spoke to The Citizen. He went to Tetelestai believing it would help him conquer his drinking problem. ALSO READ: One in four alcohol addicted teens first exposed by family members He sold his possessions to pay for treatment, only to discover what he described as a prison camp. He arrived inebriated and was made to sign paperwork while drunk, only to be told later that he was legally bound to the centre and could not leave at will. Macy said people who attempted to escape were collected by teams of recovering addicts. She said returnees came back bleeding and with bruises at times. Jack described how a disabled resident with a fused leg was restrained and forcibly bent by monitors as punishment, resulting in severe injuries. The man later jumped from a second-storey window and got away. Macy said she witnessed a female resident jump from a second-floor window during an episode of what looked like severe distress. 'She lay there in agony with a shattered leg,' Macy said. 'They left her there for hours, claiming it was 'God's punishment'. No-one helped her. It was horrifying.' 'Forced' religious conversion Medics were eventually called, she said. Christian teaching, former patients said, permeated the TRC. De Klerk presented himself as the centre's spiritual leader, Macy said, and preached daily. Jack said residents were forced to convert to Christianity. He witnessed Muslims being made to strip off religious clothing and abandon their faith to study the Bible under threat of punishment. Jack spent time in detox, describing conditions worse than jail. He said he was housed with violent ex-convicts, including alleged members of the notorious numbers prison gangs. ALSO READ: Here is how long you could spend in jail for drug trafficking in SA Knives were hidden around the facility, sharpened on floors and used as intimidation tools. 'I feared for my life at every turn,' he said. Punishments he endured included cleaning toilets covered in faeces, blood or semen using bare hands or toothbrushes for hours. Claims of medical neglect and overcrowding Food, or lack of it, was another alleged form of punishment and control. Residents were allegedly fed shelf-life expired groceries. Jack said the kitchen was filthy. 'We were once so hungry we stole brinjals from the kitchen and cooked them over candles in our dorm,' he said. A punishment called 'full hold' was described as physical and psychological torture. Inmates were forced to sit on cold floors, drawing shapes on tiles with their fingers for 30 days, with food and basic comforts limited. Others were made to dig holes with teaspoons in the garden, only to fill them in again. Former inpatients said unqualified monitors dished out medication and the only nurse ever present was a recovering addict and helped only during her tenure. Macy claimed she saw a counsellor once. Jack was never on a psychologist's couch at TRC. But at least one formal complaint was laid. A South Coast social worker wrote to the department of social development in KwaZulu-Natal three years ago about the centre. ALSO READ: Drug-addicted mother who killed son and went to church gets 20 years Watch: Former Tetelestai Recovery Centre residents speak out: In the letter, seen by The Citizen, the social worker, whose daughter-in-law was an inpatient, accused De Klerk of having a relationship with her son's wife while she was vulnerable. There are also questions surrounding TRC's registration. An eThekwini municipality permit dated 2024 allows for the residence of 40 men and 30 women. Another certificate, dated March this year and issued by the provincial department of social development, limits inpatients to 20 and noted that no detox activities may occur on the premises. Macy and Jack both alleged, however, that over 100 patients were housed at the centre during their time, with severe overcrowding in the men's quarters. 'Control, power and profiting' Former patient Bill said: 'That place isn't about healing. It's about control, power and profiting off the vulnerable.' Macy agreed. 'They destroyed me. They will keep destroying others until someone stops them.' The social worker's letter to the department stated: 'They have caused devastating harm to vulnerable people. They must be deregistered without delay.' Psychologist and medical doctor Dr Jonathan Redelinghuys said: 'Placing people dealing with addiction into environments that involve humiliation, deprivation and violence creates extreme trauma responses.' He said these conditions could lead to aggression, depression and learned helplessness. According to Redelinghuys, addiction requires a dedicated team. 'Detoxing can be life-threatening,' he said. 'It requires professional, university-degreed medical oversight.' NOW READ: R13m already overspent on Gauteng rehab stuck in planning phase since 2018
