Austria mourns suicide of doctor targetted by anti-COVID vaccine campaigners
Austrian leaders appealed for national unity after a doctor who faced death threats from anti-vaccination activists and coronavirus pandemic conspiracy theorists took her own life.
"Let's put an end to this intimidation and fear mongering. Hate and intolerance have no place in our Austria," President Alexander Van der Bellen said, hailing Lisa-Maria Kellermayr as a doctor who stood for healing people, protecting them from disease and taking a cautious approach to the pandemic.
"But some people have been enraged by this. And these people scared her, threatened her, first on the internet and then also in person, directly in her practice."
The body of the doctor -- who had often given media interviews about fighting the coronavirus pandemic and promoting vaccinations -- was found in her office in Upper Austria on Friday.
Media cited prosecutors as saying they had found a suicide note and were not planning an autopsy.
Austria last month dropped plans to introduce compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for adults, saying it was unlikely that the measure would raise one of western Europe's lowest vaccination rates.
Tens of thousands of people had marched in regular protests against lockdowns last year and plans to make vaccinations mandatory, highlighting a social divide over public health measures that many countries have experienced.
But the doctor's death -- which the Austrian physicians' association said reflected a broader trend of threats against medical staff -- shocked the country.
"Hatred against people is inexcusable. This hatred must finally stop," Health Minister Johannes Rauch said.
"But some people have been enraged by this. And these people scared her, threatened her, first on the internet and then also in person, directly in her practice."
The body of the doctor -- who had often given media interviews about fighting the coronavirus pandemic and promoting vaccinations -- was found in her office in Upper Austria on Friday.
Media cited prosecutors as saying they had found a suicide note and were not planning an autopsy.
Austria last month dropped plans to introduce compulsory COVID-19 vaccination for adults, saying it was unlikely that the measure would raise one of western Europe's lowest vaccination rates.
Tens of thousands of people had marched in regular protests against lockdowns last year and plans to make vaccinations mandatory, highlighting a social divide over public health measures that many countries have experienced.
But the doctor's death -- which the Austrian physicians' association said reflected a broader trend of threats against medical staff -- shocked the country.
"Hatred against people is inexcusable. This hatred must finally stop," Health Minister Johannes Rauch said.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
