Lisa-Maria Kellermayr was a doctor in Austria and took her own life last Friday. She was harassed by Antivax activists for her speech for vaccines against Covid-19.
“Hate and intolerance have no place in our Austria,” said Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on Saturday, July 30. He was then reacting to the suicide of Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, an Austrian doctor who ended her life after being harassed by Antivax activists and supporters of Covid-19-related conspiracy theories.
The lifeless body of Lisa-Maria Kellermayr was found in her office in Upper Austria last Friday. According to Portal news agency, a letter explaining her gesture was found near her, which motivated prosecutors in charge of the case not to request an autopsy.
Sea of lights in Vienna, vigils: After the death of the Upper Austrian doctor Lisa-Maria Kellermayr, there is dismay and dismay.https://t.co/lxkXnZeaCE pic.twitter.com/UU2UIu7S9M
— Kronen Zeitung (@krone_at) July 31, 2022
This doctor had given numerous interviews during the pandemic on the fight against the coronavirus and in particular supported the administration of vaccines. Austria has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe.
Last month, the country abandoned its plan to introduce compulsory adult vaccination against Covid-19. Throughout the crisis there has been strong opposition to public health measures. For example, tens of thousands of people demonstrated against the general closures at the height of the contamination.
Threatened online and in person
In this context, Lisa-Maria Kellermayr’s speech was not unanimous and the doctor was the victim of violent harassment, including death threats. The Austrian Federal President castigated those who “frightened him, threatened him, first went on the Internet and then went directly to his office in person”.
According to Austrian media, the victim spent 8,000 to 10,000 euros a month just to take care of his safety because of the pressure. She even ended up temporarily shutting down her practice where her stalkers found her.
According to the Association of Austrian Doctors, Lisa-Maria Kellermayr’s death reflects a broader trend in threats against nurses. Alexander Van der Bellen paid tribute to the practitioner’s memory and called on his country to end “this intimidation and fear campaign.”