Two women, two men, two stories of violence.

It's a normal day in Building E of the Justice Center, where the Frankfurt courts hear their criminal cases.

Horrible allegations, week after week, about violence against women.

Rape, threats, stalking, assault, deprivation of liberty, coercion.

There are mostly stories of ex-husbands, friends or confidants who are said to have crossed borders in dealing with their partners, acquaintances, customers.

Rarely are strangers who have become violent.

Jealousy often plays a role, hurt pride or the belief that you can take what you want because you are entitled to women and their bodies.

Anna Sophia Lang

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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It is up to the judges to review what really happened and decide how to punish the crimes.

What was stated in the indictment does not always remain in the end.

The women affected do not always testify, and sometimes the verdicts appear too lenient in view of the suffering that has arisen.

This Thursday is another day like that.

The district court is hearing against a man, 44 years old, who did not want to accept the separation from his girlfriend.

"Out of anger and jealousy," according to the public prosecutor's office, he insulted her the worst via Whatsapp and threatened that if she continued to ignore him, he would advertise her as a prostitute, including her address and telephone number.

"Horny bums" would then "hang around" in front of their door.

He wrote in color on her letterbox and her apartment door that everyone could – in principle – use it free of charge as they wanted.

A threat speech did not stop him.

He wrote to her: "Now I'll bust your ass, I swear you whore.

I'm back on the road.

Now let's get started.

I'll beat you to death. I'll send people to do it. Call, it's better for you, you whore.

Tied to the heater

He admitted the allegations in court.

It was bad for him at the time: he was bullied out of his job, had to move in with his parents unemployed and was overqualified for all job offers.

Then his girlfriend, his only haven of peace, broke away abruptly, he drank and smoked pot.

Because she blocked, says the defender, "he got carried away."

The woman says that she has been in therapy for years because of the difficult relationship that has been going on for a long time, that over time she has given the man 20,000 euros and that he has repeatedly stolen from her.

Now she finally wants to end it.

She still turns around on the street, she was scared to death at the time.

Yes, she could imagine that he would send someone to harm her.

The defendant apologizes and says he is "strong on words".

And then:

"It just sucks now." She accepts the apology, but says the injury will last for life.

Also because he has been leaving her alone for a year, the case is finally dropped with the approval of the public prosecutor.

Condition: The accused must pay the victim 600 euros.

In the meantime, a large criminal court at the regional court is hearing whether a twenty-nine-year-old from Kronberg locked his wife up out of jealousy.

At night he is said to have tied her to the heating with shackles or cable ties, injured her with knives or scissors almost every day, fractured her arm and ribs and threatened to beat her and kill her in order to intimidate her.

According to the indictment, she once jumped from the balcony.

The accused wants to remain silent for the time being, but the wife and mother of their three children says all the more.

"It's nothing like I said," she begins.

She had repeatedly lied to the police and at a judicial hearing - the accused had been in custody for five months.

Why?

Because she was put under pressure by a woman who put her up to not become homeless.

All the injuries, the scars covering her body, she inflicted herself.

Their testimony is shaped by stories about drug use, violent confrontations, neglect and irresponsibility.

Some things sound adventurous: feuding mothers who take revenge on each other, broken arms that she doesn't want to have noticed.

Their representations change every minute.

Sometimes she wants to have lived in isolation with her husband, sometimes she wanted to celebrate a lot.

Sometimes he is said not to have consumed any drugs, then coke and joints.

The court and the public prosecutor's office clearly have doubts as to whether all of this can be true.

You still have several days of negotiations to find out.

The trial will resume in a week.