Refugee rapes 79yo woman at German cemetery
A new rape scandal is brewing in Germany after 40-year-old man from Eritrea with official refugee status was arrested as he was sexually assaulting an elderly woman at a cemetery in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The disturbing attack took place in the western German town of Iddenbueren on Sunday.
A local resident alerted the police after he heard a cry for help coming from the cemetery.
The victim, a 79-year-old boarder of a nursing home, was provided first aid before being transferred to a medical facility for treatment. She was released from the hospital on Tuesday.
The pensioner is known to visit the cemetery fairly regularly to mourn her long-dead sister, Bild reported.
The alleged perpetrator, who has been living in Germany since 2013, was charged with rape by the prosecution and placed into custody for the course of the investigation, the prosecutor’s office of Munster and police for the district of Steinfurt, where the town is located, said in a joint statement.
Before being arrested, the suspect was staying at a refugee shelter in the nearby town of Horstel. The assailant did not resist the police as they arrived at the scene early on Sunday morning. He faces up to 15 years behind bars if found guilty.
A wave of sexually-related offences in Germany has triggered immense public outrage and forced authorities to review existing anti-rape laws. The most notorious incident took place during this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne, where wide-scale sexual assaults took place.
A new rape scandal is brewing in Germany after 40-year-old man from Eritrea with official refugee status was arrested as he was sexually assaulting an elderly woman at a cemetery in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The disturbing attack took place in the western German town of Iddenbueren on Sunday.
A local resident alerted the police after he heard a cry for help coming from the cemetery.
The victim, a 79-year-old boarder of a nursing home, was provided first aid before being transferred to a medical facility for treatment. She was released from the hospital on Tuesday.
The pensioner is known to visit the cemetery fairly regularly to mourn her long-dead sister, Bild reported.
The alleged perpetrator, who has been living in Germany since 2013, was charged with rape by the prosecution and placed into custody for the course of the investigation, the prosecutor’s office of Munster and police for the district of Steinfurt, where the town is located, said in a joint statement.
Before being arrested, the suspect was staying at a refugee shelter in the nearby town of Horstel. The assailant did not resist the police as they arrived at the scene early on Sunday morning. He faces up to 15 years behind bars if found guilty.
A wave of sexually-related offences in Germany has triggered immense public outrage and forced authorities to review existing anti-rape laws. The most notorious incident took place during this year’s New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne, where wide-scale sexual assaults took place.
