A Syrian kidnaps his two sons in Vienna and a European arrest warrant is issued against him, with police protection for his daughter.
Austrian authorities continue to search for a 36-year-old Syrian man suspected of abducting his minor children in Vienna, for whom a European arrest warrant has been issued. According to the Austrian news agency APA, the suspect is believed to have left the country after the incident.
The incident dates back to February 25, when the two children, Mahir, aged 8, and Mahmoud, aged 7, were forcibly pulled into a Lexus car in front of their elementary school in Vienna while they were heading there alone. Investigations quickly pointed to suspicion of their father, who is said to have not been in regular contact with them recently.
Preliminary data indicates that the man is also suspected of taking four other children from a previous marriage last December, aged between 5 and 13 years, and they have not been found yet.
The five-year-old girl from his second marriage, who stayed in Vienna, is currently under protective measures while going to and from kindergarten, fearing she may be subjected to a similar abduction attempt.
Authorities believe that the suspect is on his way to Syria, while reports circulated about a message he allegedly sent via social media confirming that he personally took his children and that they are fine. Investigations are still ongoing, and the relevant authorities confirm that all data is subject to verification, with the presumption of innocence remaining in effect until a final court ruling is issued.
The police urged anyone with information that could help locate the children to contact the authorities immediately.