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Defendant at the start in the Berlin Regional Court
Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa
The trial over an alleged rape in Görlitzer Park in Berlin-Kreuzberg has been suspended for the time being. The court revoked the arrest warrants against the three defendants, who had been in custody for around seven months. All three defendants are already at large.
The background is that the alleged victim did not appear as a witness and the witness cannot be questioned in the foreseeable future. However, the woman from Georgia had clearly stated through her lawyer that she was willing to testify in a video hearing in her home country, said judge Thilo Bartl. Since this is a key witness, the court will make a corresponding request for legal assistance. Since a result is not expected for several months, the process cannot be continued.
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The men, aged 22 and 23, are accused of particularly serious rape, grievous bodily harm and particularly serious robbery. According to the prosecution, they attacked a couple in the early morning of June 21, 2023 and raped the then 27-year-old woman.
The rule of law has proven itself, says lawyer Mirko Roeder, who represents one of the defendants. "Politicians, especially the governing mayor, should stay out of it in the future."
The case had sparked a discussion about security measures: The park is considered one of the largest drug trafficking centers in the capital, and the Senate has been debating attempts to make the facility safer for years; for example through a fence, additional lighting, bans on night walks. Berlin's governing mayor Kai Wegner recently announced entrance gates and fencing.
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