A 17-year-old Syrian national was acquitted of the rape of a 12-year-old girl in the Vienna Regional Court on Tuesday after the presiding judge and jury panel concluded there was insufficient proof that the defendant used force during the encounter.

According to court documents, the then 15-year-old defendant — recently identified as a 17-year-old apprentice — came into contact with the 12-year-old girl through Snapchat in early 2023.

After an initial meeting in a park, the pair ended up in a parking garage near Vienna Central Station. There, the defendant allegedly persuaded the girl to perform oral sex against her will.

The prosecution argued that Anna-So