Berliner (68) charged with drug-facilitated rapes – 58 alleged victims
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has charged a 68-year-old man with 22 rapes and aggravated assault. The suspect is alleged to have drugged, raped, and filmed women he met via dating apps.
Berliner (68) charged with drug-facilitated rapes – 58 alleged victims
The Berlin public prosecutor's office brought charges on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, against a 68-year-old man from the German capital. The pensioner is suspected of having drugged, raped, and filmed dozens of women whom he had met via various dating applications.
According to RTL, the prosecution authority accuses the defendant of "22 rapes" and "aggravated assault". The alleged victims had no memory of the assaults and only learned of the existing video recordings during the course of the investigation.
The investigations began after police in Verden an der Aller, a small town in northern Germany, dealt with a similar case in early 2025 involving a suspect who has since died. When evaluating the online communication of this man, investigators came into contact with the Berlin man now charged. Proceedings against him were initiated in early March 2025.
During an initial search of the residence, police seized computers and data carriers. Only in February 2026, a year later, did officers find numerous videos during a second search showing sexual assaults that were "probably" committed by the defendant. In March, the 68-year-old was finally arrested.
The public prosecutor's office has identified a total of 58 alleged victims. The indictment initially focuses on 22 offences against 14 women. Ten additional alleged victims have not yet been identified. Investigations are still ongoing for thirty further women. In three further cases, evidence is currently insufficient.
According to the indictment, the man is alleged to have administered sedatives in combination with alcohol to the women before raping them. Additionally, 36 further rape suspects from the years 2010 to 2014 were discontinued as these are now time-barred under applicable German law.
The case is reminiscent of the Dominique Pelicot affair in France and has reignited a societal debate about the statutes of limitations for sexual offences against unconscious victims.
Source: Google News FR — Crime (fr)