Italian police in Rimini are investigating a suspected rape after a 17-year-old German tourist woke up in a hotel room with a 27-year-old Turkish man. She told police she had no memory of how she arrived at the man’s bed, which led to questions of whether she ingested date-rape drugs.
The girl had gone out with friends on Friday night, Sept. 11, during a holiday on the Adriatic coast. At a club, she met a 27-year-old Turkish tourist staying in the same hotel as her group. Witnesses say the two left the club together. After that, her friends lost contact. Calls and messages went unanswered for hours.
Only later did she successfully reach her friends. She said she had woken up in the man’s room, confused and with no memory of the hours after leaving the club. According to the Italian news agency Ansa, she told friends, in a distressed state: “Maybe I was raped.”
Friends and police found her at the hotel in the Miramare area of Rimini. An ambulance was then called. At the emergency department, she underwent medical and gynecological examinations under Italy’s anti-violence protocol. Doctors secured forensic traces. She said she had drunk alcohol at the club but could not account for what happened afterward.
Numerous German news outlets did not mention the suspect’s Turkish nationality, such as Merkur and t-online. However, outlets Bild and Welt both note the suspect is a Turkish tourist.
Due to the girl blacking out for hours, officers from the Squadra Mobile — the state police unit that handles serious crime — are examining whether she may have been given a substance such as a date-rape drug.
Investigators searched the 27-year-old’s room and seized personal items and his mobile phone. He has no known prior convictions, has denied the allegation, and has been reported as cooperative with police. Italian media say he has been reported for sexual violence; the investigation is continuing.
So far, no charges have been filed. Police are still investigating the details of the night, including how the teenager ended up in the room and whether any drug was involved.
