Berlin electrician charged with 22 alleged rapes
A 68-year-old electrician from Berlin must answer in court for serious sexual offences. He is alleged to have drugged and raped at least 14 women.
Berlin electrician charged with 22 alleged rapes
The Berlin public prosecutor's office has filed charges against a 68-year-old electrician who is accused of 22 cases of rape and grievous bodily harm. The man is alleged to have made contact with his victims through online dating sites and rendered them incapable of acting by administering a mixture of sedatives when they met. He is then said to have abused the women and filmed the acts. According to reports, those affected only learned of the crimes through the seized video recordings.
Investigators tracked down the suspect in 2025 following a tip from Lower Saxony. Colleagues there had handled a similar case in which the suspect in that case had died, but maintained internet contact with the Berlin man. During a search of an apartment in Berlin-Friedrichsfelde, officers secured various data storage devices. In February 2026, an IT specialist discovered numerous videos of sexual crimes whilst evaluating the data.
Following this, the man's apartment was searched again on 3 March. The suspect was arrested and has been in custody awaiting trial since then. He has not made any statement regarding the allegations to date.
Investigators now believe there could be up to 58 victims. To date, 30 women have been identified, with investigations in their cases continuing. Ten women have not yet been traced. In three further cases, there is currently insufficient evidence. In the case of one woman who, according to the charge, was abused a total of 36 times between 2010 and 2014, proceedings had to be discontinued due to the statute of limitations. The public prosecutor could not prove that violence had been used against her, which meant the shorter statute of limitations of five years applied.
The Berlin Regional Court must now decide whether to admit the charge and when the trial will begin.
Source: Novinky.cz