Overview

• Anna Werner Friedmann is accused of biting a colleague's buttock and holding a burning torch to his nose during a live theater performance in August 2023.
• The incident occurred during a production of 'Alma' at the Südbahnhotel am Semmering in Austria, with the complaint filed nearly a year later.
• Friedmann's defense argues the actions were part of a scripted scene meant to convey artistic realism, while the accuser describes the experience as non-consensual and traumatic.
• The trial opened in Neunkirchen, Austria, on May 6, 2025, with no verdict reached; proceedings are set to resume on July 9, 2025.
• Friedmann, a prominent actress from ZDF's 'Die Toten vom Bodensee,' faces up to one year in prison if convicted of bodily harm and sexual harassment.