Germany: 8 out of 9 Migrants convicted of Group Rape of 15-Year-Old Avoid Imprisonment

The youth division of Hamburg’s regional court has ruled that 8 out of 9 migrants convicted of gang-raping a 15-year-old will escape incarceration despite their repeated assault and severe mistreatment of the vulnerable school student in a city park, all while recording the abhorrent act.

The defendants, aged between 19 and 23, received suspended sentences ranging from one to two years. Additionally, a 19-year-old Iranian was sentenced to two years and nine months in juvenile detention, as reported by the German press.

Media sources indicate that eight of the nine perpetrators have migrant backgrounds, hailing from various countries including Poland, Egypt, Libya, Kuwait, Iran, Armenia, and Afghanistan. The court is convinced that the group forcibly took the heavily intoxicated and defenseless girl into a park bush in September 2020. Initially, four individuals raped her, with one stealing her cellphone and wallet.

Following this, two others sexually assaulted the student, succeeded by three others committing similar acts. Forensic evidence revealed traces of semen from all of them on the victim. Witnesses reported the existence of two videos documenting the assaults, but these were promptly deleted after the crime, rendering them unusable as evidence for both the police and the court. Allegedly, none of the defendants exhibited any remorse during the trial, with one reportedly nearly falling asleep during the verdict.

Reportedly, the defense attorneys representing the migrants argued that the young men were simply acting under the influence of testosterone. Presiding Judge Anne Meier-Göring remarked, “We have the right to ensure that young men under the influence of testosterone also abide by the law.”

The legal proceedings commenced in May 2022. After 68 days of hearings involving 96 witnesses and several experts, Meier-Goering delivered the verdict on Tuesday. However, the ruling is not yet legally binding.