Sentencing in Siegaue case Man who raped camper gets eleven and a half years

Bonn · Following the rape of a young camper near the Sieg River in Bonn, a 31-year-old man was found guilty and sentenced to eleven and a half years in prison.

Before the sentencing began, there was a crowd of people at the door to the courtroom. In addition to a large number of spectators, there were countless camera teams and photographers trying to find regret, remorse or any kind of emotion on the face of Eric X. The 31-year-old was led to his place in the courtroom in handcuffs.

The rape occurred on the night of April 2 this year, and there were robbery charges as well. Prosecution had called for a 13-year sentence for the defendant. During the court case, the 31-year-old man from Ghana had called the woman he raped a “prostitute.” Although he disputed his guilt, investigators found his DNA on the victim.

The woman and her boyfriend from Freiburg had been camping in a tent near the Sieg River in Bonn, an area called the “Siegaue”. Wielding a saw as a weapon, he first demanded money and valuables and then forced the 23-year-old woman outside the tent, where he raped her. Her 26-year-old boyfriend alerted police from inside the tent after she had asked him to do that rather than putting up a defense.

Because the 31-year-old denied the charges, the couple was forced to testify, reliving what had happened. The judge called this an extra burden for the pair. The consequences of the night have been immense for the victims: Anxiety, limb pain caused by drug treatment and even suicidal thoughts had plagued the rape victim.

Eric X. fled to Germany as an asylum seeker after having passed through Libya and Italy. On March 3, he landed in a shelter in Sankt Augustin and received a deportation notice on March 23. After having filed a complaint a day later, the proceedings were suspended. He must sit out at least half of his sentence in Germany and then it would be decided as to whether he is deported to his home country. The attorney for Eric X. said his client wanted to file an appeal.

(Orig. text: Marcel Hönighausen. Translation: Carol Kloeppel)

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