Eight gang rapists have been set free to walk the streets of Germany despite being convicted of a heinous and violent rape of a 15-year-old girl, with the case drawing outrage in a country known for its lax policy towards migrant rapists. The Hamburg regional juvenile court gave its guilty verdict Tuesday; however, only one convicted rapist, an Iranian migrant, was sentenced to two years and nine months in juvenile detention despite DNA evidence being found on the victim from all nine men.
The case dates back to 2020, when the crowd robbed a drunk female student in Hamburg city park, raped her repeatedly, and then filmed the whole incident.
All the defendants, who are between 19 and 23, received suspended sentences, except for the one Iranian, which means none of the others will serve any jail time. Media reports indicate that eight of the nine rapists had migration backgrounds, with the convicted rapists coming from Poland, Egypt, Kuwait, Iran, Armenia, and Afghanistan.
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The court determined that the 15-year-old victim, who was heavily intoxicated, was dragged into a bush in the park in September 2020. Four of the convicted men raped her, and then stole her cell phone and wallet. Then, two others sexually abused the woman. However, it did not end there, with three others then moving in to sexually abuse the young girl.
Traces of semen were found from all the men on the victim.
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The light suspended sentences were handed out despite none of the men showing any remorse during the trial, according to Bild newspaper, which sat in during the proceedings. One perpetrator was described as nearly falling asleep during the trial.
The migrants’ lawyers argued that the men were operating with high testosterone levels as an excuse behind the gang rape.
The Iranian who was sent to juvenile detention responded during the trial: “What man doesn’t want that?”
In response, Judge Anne Meier-Goering responded that “we have the right to ensure that young men who are under testosterone also adhere to the law.”
The trial began in May 2022 and lasted 68 days and involved 96 witnesses, with such a large-scale trial proving costly all in itself. Experts also were called in by the courts to testify. Witnesses described a video made during the rape, but the videos were later deleted, which means authorities were never able to view them.
Meier-Goering issued her guilty verdict and sentences on Tuesday.
