Trials underway for ex-German military personnel
Two former soldiers of the German Armed Forces, aged 35 and 31, are standing trial at the Berlin Regional Court, accused of assaulting and raping a former comrade. A third ex-soldier, aged 36, is charged with witnessing the incident but not intervening. The court proceedings began nearly four years ago.
The trial, which started on August 25, saw the first day end before the charges were read out. The 36-year-old defendant was absent at the start of the trial, leading the prosecutor to request a warrant for his arrest.
The alleged incidents occurred between February and May 2021 at the Julius-Leber Barracks in Berlin-Reinickendorf. In one case, the 36-year-old defendant and five other individuals targeted the young soldier at the barracks.
The victim, now 24 years old, experienced shortness of breath for several seconds due to the actions of the group. The initial investigation by the Ministry of Defense focused on a suspicion of extremism within the guard battalion. Searches, including of mobile phones, were conducted as part of the investigation.
A suspected right-wing extremist group, known as the "Wolf Pack," was involved in the investigation. However, measures taken during the investigation were ruled unlawful by the Federal Administrative Court in July 2022, as there was no initial suspicion, only mere suspicions.
One of the charged soldiers could not be located, and his case has been provisionally suspended. The court has deferred a decision on the arrest warrant for the 36-year-old defendant who did not appear for the trial.
The charges against the soldiers include rape, failure to render aid, and dangerous bodily harm. The charges are expected to be read out on the second day of the trial on August 26. The location of the trial is the Berlin Regional Court.
It is unclear at this time what the outcome of the trial will be. The search results do not provide any information on the current status of the trial for the three ex-Bundeswehr soldiers accused of assault, rape, and failure to render aid against a former comrade, nor about the 36-year-old witness who allegedly did not intervene. If more information becomes available, it will be reported accordingly.
The first sentence announcing the defendant's absenteeism from the trial and the subsequent request for a warrant could be rephrased as, "Despite the commencing trial on August 25, the 36-year-old defendant failed to attend, leading the prosecutor to seek a warrant for his arrest."
A possible second sentence regarding the 36-year-old defendant's involvement and the broader context could be, "Meanwhile, the dismissed soldier, as well as others involved in the alleged right-wing extremist group known as the 'Wolf Pack,' has to deal with political implications and appearance in more general-news and crime-and-justice scenarios, not just a singular military trial."
