Enlarge image

Public Prosecutor's Office Berlin: Serious allegations against 61-year-old

Photo: Fabian Sommer / dpa

The Berlin public prosecutor's office has brought charges against a 61-year-old man who is said to have committed a sexual assault on a sleeping hospital patient. Subsequently, he is said to have tried to kill the 85-year-old to cover up the assault, the authority said. The defendant is accused, among other things, of attempted murder.

Alleged perpetrator in custody

The crime is said to have occurred at the end of September: The accused is said to have entered the patient room of the seriously ill and bedridden 85-year-old unnoticed and then reached into the genital area of the sleeping senior. When the patient woke up and screamed for help, the 61-year-old wanted to suffocate him with a pillow, according to the indictment. Finally, he tried to strangle the older man.

More on this topic

Violence in care: "Safe places are often unsafe"

According to the public prosecutor's office, the 61-year-old only let go of the patient when a nurse came into the room. The man fled, but was detained by hospital staff.

The alleged perpetrator is not an employee of the clinic. The man is in custody.

bbr/dpa