EUROPEAN COMMISSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

FIRST CHAMBER

Application No. 26778/95

P.S.

against

Austria

REPORT OF THE COMMISSION

(adopted on 27 October 1998)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1

PART I  :STATEMENT OF THE FACTS ............................ 3

PART II :SOLUTION REACHED .................................. 4

INTRODUCTION

1. This Report relates to the application introduced under Article 25 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms by P.S. against Austria on 15 December 1994.  It was registered on 21 March 1995 under file No. 26778/95.

2. The applicant was represented by Mr. Richard Soyer , a lawyer practising in Vienna.

3. The Government of Austria were represented by their Agent, Ambassador F. Cede, Head of the International Law Department at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

4. On 14 January 1998 the Commission (First Chamber) declared the application admissible .  It then proceeded to carry out its task under Article 28 para. 1 of the Convention which provides as follows:

"In the event of the Commission accepting a petition referred to it:

a. it shall, with a view to ascertaining the facts, undertake together with the representatives of the parties an examination of the petition and, if need be, an investigation, for the effective conduct of which the States concerned shall furnish all necessary facilities, after an exchange of views with the Commission;

b. it shall at the same time place itself at the disposal of the parties concerned with a view to securing a friendly settlement of the matter on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in this Convention."

5. The Commission (First Chamber) found that the parties had reached a friendly settlement of the case and on 27 October 1998 it adopted this Report, which, in accordance with Article 28 para. 2 of the Convention, is confined to a brief statement of the facts and of the solution reached.

6. The following members were present when the Report was adopted:

MM M.P. PELLONPÄÄ, President

E. BUSUTTIL

A. WEITZEL

C.L. ROZAKIS

Mrs J. LIDDY

MM L. LOUCAIDES

B. MARXER

B. CONFORTI

I. BÉKÉS

G. RESS

A. PERENIČ

C. BÃŽRSAN

M. VILA AMIGÓ

Mrs M. HION

Mr R. NICOLINI

PART I

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS

7. The applicant is an Austrian citizen, born in 1963, and resident in Vienna.

8. On 6 March 1991 the Eisenstadt Regional Court ( Landesgericht ) convicted the applicant of sexual abuse of a minor and sentenced him to two and a half years' imprisonment. Moreover, it ordered that the applicant be placed in an institution for mentally ill offenders. Under the relevant provision of the Austrian Criminal Code ( Strafgesetzbuch ) the court must of its own motion examine at least once yearly whether the placement is still necessary.

9. Following two sets of review proceedings, in which the last decision had been given on 9 December 1992, the Vienna Regional Criminal Court started a further review as to the lawfulness of the applicant's detention on 8 November 1993. After having taken two expert opinions the court gave its decision on 13 April 1994, ordering the continuation of the applicant's detention. On 10 June 1994 the Vienna Court of Appeal ( Oberlandesgericht ) quashed this decision. On 19 April 1995 the Vienna Regional Criminal Court, after having supplemented the taking of expert opinions, ordered the applicant's conditional release from the institution for mentally ill offenders as of 11 May 1995.

10. Before the Commission, the applicant complained under Article 5 para. 4 of the Convention that the courts failed to decide speedily on the lawfulness of his detention.

PART II

SOLUTION REACHED

11. Following the decision on the admissibility of the application, the Commission (First Chamber) placed itself at the disposal of the parties with a view to securing a friendly settlement in accordance with Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention and invited the parties to submit any proposals they wished to make.

12. In accordance with the usual practice, the Chamber Secretary, acting on the Commission's instructions, contacted the parties to explore the possibilities of reaching a friendly settlement.

13. By letters of 5 October 1998 and 12 October 1998, respectively, the applicant and the respondent Government informed the Commission that they had agreed on the terms of a friendly settlement, and submitted the following declaration.

"Statements of the parties with a view to a friendly settlement

With reference to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the European Convention of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the parties in the proceedings concerning Application No. 26778/95 lodged by P. S., declare with a view to a friendly settlement, reached with the assistance of the European Commission of Human Rights, as follows:

1. The Government of the Republic of Austria will pay the applicant a sum amounting to altogether ATS 90,000 as compensation in respect of any possible claims relating to the present application. This sum includes ATS 40,000 in respect of fees and expenses incurred in the proceedings before the Commission.

This amount will be paid to the applicant's counsel, Mr Richard Soyer in Vienna.

2. The applicant declares his application settled.

3. The applicant waives any further claims against the Republic of Austria relating to the present application."

" Erklärungen der Parteien zur gütlichen Regelung

In der Beschwerdesache Nr . 26778/95 des Herrn P. S. einigen sich die Parteien unter Bezugnahme auf Artikel 28 Abs . 1 lit. b der Europäischen Konvention zum Schutze der Menschenrechte und Grundfreiheiten und unter Mitwirkung der Europäischen Kommission für Menschenrechte auf die nachstehende gütliche Regelung :

1. Die österreichische Regierung zahlt dem Beschwerdeführer als Ausgleich für sämtliche etwaige Ansprüche im Zusammenhang mit der vorliegenden Beschwerde einen Gesamtbetrag von öS 90,000. Dieser Betrag umfaßt öS 40,000 hinsichtlich der Gebühren und Auslagen , die im Rahmen des Verfahrens vor der Kommission entstanden sind .

Dieser Betrag wird an den Verfahrensbevollmächtigten des Beschwerdeführers Herrn Rechtsanwalt Dr. Richard Soyer in Wien überwiesen .

2. Der Beschwerdeführer erklärt seine oben genannte Beschwerde als erledigt .

3. Der Beschwerdeführer verzichtet auf die Geltendmachung allfälliger weiterer Forderungen gegen die Republik Österreich im Zusammenhang mit dem der Beschwerde zugrundeliegenden Sachverhalt ."

14. At its session on 27 October 1998, the Commission noted that the parties had reached an agreement regarding the terms of a settlement. It further considered, having regard to Article 28 para. 1 (b) of the Convention, that the friendly settlement of the case had been secured on the basis of respect for Human Rights as defined in the Convention.

15. For these reasons, the Commission adopted the present Report.

       M.F. BUQUICCHIO    M.P. PELLONPÄÄ

          Secretary President

     to the First Chamber of the First Chamber