Episode Details

A Berlin prosecutor has charged a 68-year-old man with 22 counts of aggravated rape, allegedly targeting up to 58 women through online dating apps—drugging them with sedatives mixed in alcohol before assaulting them and recording the attacks. The case erupted in March 2025 after his name surfaced in chat logs, and he’s been in custody since March 2026. Thirty victims have been identified from recovered footage, with ten still unknown. Many victims had no memory of the assaults until seeing the videos. The case underscores a growing trend of sexual crimes being exposed online, prompting renewed debate over Germany’s statute of limitations—36 alleged rapes from 2010–2014 were dropped due to time limits, but the current charges, involving force, fall under a 20-year window. Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig is pushing for reforms, including extending rape statutes to 20 years and mandating minimum 5-year sentences for offenders using date-rape drugs, following a 2022 ruling that downgraded such drugs as “dangerous items” and reduced penalties.

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