An incident surrounding the Vienna „Time-Out WG“ is causing political discussions. A 13-year-old resident of the facility for criminally irresponsible intensive offenders is said to have escaped from the Donaustadt Clinic today, Tuesday. The teenager had been taken to the hospital due to health complaints. The Vienna ÖVP is now calling for a significant tightening of security measures.

As reported by the Vienna ORF, citing the „Kronen Zeitung,“ the teenager was one of the few residents of the facility that opened in July in Vienna-Simmering.

The 13-year-old reportedly complained of pain on Tuesday morning. He was then taken by his care facility to the Donaustadt Clinic. According to media reports, the teenager managed to escape his caregivers and leave the hospital.

The boy had previously been registered by the police for numerous robberies. The exact details of the escape and whether the teenager has since been apprehended are not clear from the current report.

The incident sparked criticism from the Vienna ÖVP. Family spokesperson Sabine Keri pointed out that the Time-Out WG was specifically set up for teenagers who have repeatedly been involved in serious crimes.

„Especially with them, clear procedures, sufficiently qualified personnel, and a security concept that works even in exceptional situations are needed,“ Keri explained.

The ÖVP is calling on the responsible Deputy Mayor Bettina Emmerling (NEOS) to significantly tighten the facility’s security measures.

The so-called Time-Out WG is a pilot project by the City of Vienna for criminally irresponsible teenagers who repeatedly commit serious crimes. The facility is located in a single-family house in Simmering and has been operated jointly with the provider „neue wege“ since mid-July 2026. It has two places available. Teenagers can be accommodated there for a maximum of twelve weeks.

The aim of the project is to temporarily provide intensive care to particularly conspicuous young people and stabilize their situation. According to ORF, the first resident has since left the facility. According to the report, his behavior is said to have improved.

In addition to the current incident, the financing of the facility is also causing discussions. According to ORF, the annual costs for the time-out shared apartment with its two care places amount to just under one million euros.

This corresponds to approximately 500,000 euros per place per year, provided both places are considered. This is the calculated distribution of the annual total costs, not the actual costs of an individual stay.

Since the start of the pilot project, the legal basis of the time-out shared apartment has been debated. The facility relies on the Residential Care Act, which originally comes from the health sector. Whether this law is a suitable basis for accommodating juvenile offenders who are not criminally responsible is controversial.

The Ombudsman therefore demands that the Ministry of Justice quickly creates a clear legal framework. According to ORF, Deputy Mayor Bettina Emmerling has also joined this demand.

The escape of the 13-year-old raises new questions about the care and security procedures of the time-out shared apartment. In particular, it is unclear what measures are planned for situations in which residents need to be medically treated outside the facility.

Whether the incident will lead to concrete changes in the security concept is currently unknown. There is also no confirmed information available in the current report regarding the further whereabouts of the young person.

(APA/Red)

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