“We have to break it off , Mitzi, God bless you.”

Deviant Sexual Behavior during the Time of the Austro-fascist Dictatorship

Abstract

The article seeks to explore how the changes in criminal law and criminal proceedings undertaken by the Austro-fascist regime influenced the social control of deviant sexual behavior. By comparing how the law enforcement authorities dealt with the crimes of “unnatural fornication” and “abortion”, the article examines how social norms and strategies of sexual discipline were applied differently to men and women during Austro-fascism. In their analysis, the author emphasizes how the enforcement of these norms was not only shaped by the political system but also by strategies of using the judiciary to further individual interests.