Hamburg woman fights against statute of limitations for 65 alleged rapes by ex-husband
A 59-year-old writer from Hamburg is campaigning to prevent 65 alleged sexual crimes by her ex-partner from being hidden away. Authorities halted the investigation because the statutory time limits had expired.
Hamburg woman fights against statute of limitations for 65 alleged rapes by ex-husband
A 59-year-old author from the Hanseatic city is campaigning to ensure that 65 alleged rapes by her former partner do not go unaddressed. Authorities had halted the investigation because the statutory time limits had expired.
Claudia Wuttke, who writes crime novels under the pseudonym Sia Piontek, experienced a shock in June of last year. Officers from Lüneburg called her for an interview to identify a woman on video footage. The recorded person appeared defenceless and was being sexually abused by a man. Wuttke recognised herself – she had no memory of the scenes and suspects she had been sedated with drugs.
Following research by the news magazine Der Spiegel, investigators found 67 videos on the ex-husband's computer. These are said to show the suspect committing sexual acts against the conscious or wilful woman. The alleged acts are said to have taken place over a period of 16 years – during the marriage and also after the divorce, when the couple still maintained contact.
After five months of investigation, the victim received a notice from the prosecution authority: the vast majority of the cases had expired. Only two offences remained officially in proceedings – an alleged assault from 2021 and one in which, according to the indictment, a baseball bat was used.
In the Federal Republic, the statute of limitations for rape without particularly severe circumstances is five years. The requirement of being "defenceless" must be demonstrable. Wuttke criticises the fact that she only learned of the acts through police – yet the time limit is supposed to have run out.
The victim filed an objection and achieved the resumption of investigations into the 65 discontinued cases. But whether this will lead to charges remains unclear. Mia Sperling-Karstens, spokeswoman for the Hamburg prosecutors' office, explained to the news agency AFP that no decision had yet been made on possible proceedings.
The trial date for the two originally remaining offences, which was set for 15 June, was postponed. The competent court in Winsen is now awaiting the results of the new investigations.
The lawyer for the victim, Christina Clemm, described the legal situation as "intolerable". She hopes for a public debate that will lead to a change in the law. A reform from 2016, which was passed under then-Chancellor Angela Merkel, had tightened criminal law on sexual offences – but at the same time shortened the statute of limitations in certain cases in specific circumstances.
Wuttke said the case of Frenchwoman Gisèle Pelicot had helped her speak about her experiences. Nevertheless, she feels let down by the rule of law. Based on her experience, she founded the support organisation "Ungebrochen" (Unbroken) to offer help to other victims who did not have the support she lacked.
Source: RTBF
Source: RTBF Info