Hanover court sentences man from Poland to 12 years for drugging and raping partner

The verdict

The Hanover regional court sentenced a 39-year-old man originally from Poland to twelve years in prison for repeatedly drugging his then partner, raping her and filming the assaults. The court found him guilty of 33 counts of serious rape and seven counts of serious sexual coercion. All 40 sexual offences also involved bodily harm and a violation of privacy through the making of recordings. In five further cases he was convicted only of making such recordings.

Serious rape33

Serious sexual coercion7

Recording only5

Serious rape

33 counts

Serious sexual coercion

7 counts

Recording only

5 counts

Data from the article text

The verdict is not yet final. The defence lawyer said he would consider filing an appeal against the sentence. The case was heard in Hanover, and the offences took place in the shared home in Ronnenberg, a town near Hanover.

How the offences were carried out

According to the court, the man secretly added a sleep medication available only on prescription to the woman's drinks, most often her tea. He then sexually assaulted her while, in the court's assessment, she was close to losing consciousness. Some of the acts lasted for hours. He recorded them on his mobile phone, and he distributed part of the footage on the internet. The court said the acts involved a particular degradation of the victim.

Recordings and chat groups

The court found that he boasted about the acts in group chats, where other participants approved of what he had done. In some cases he carried out requests made by other members of those chats. The presiding judge described the seized video material as extremely disturbing. The recordings also served as evidence, because the court checked the man's detailed statements against them.

Confession, remorse and responsibility

At the start of the trial the defendant refused to make a statement. The court later relied mainly on his extensive explanations, which it verified against the video recordings and other material. His confession and the remorse he showed were treated as mitigating factors in sentencing. The court found him fully criminally responsible for all of the offences.

Harm to the victim

The court established that the woman suffers from panic attacks and sleep disorders. While the offences were taking place, she already struggled with fatigue and dizziness without knowing the cause. Her lawyer said, after the verdict, that the burden is especially heavy because the recordings were spread online. She does not know where the material still exists or when it could resurface, and that uncertainty continues to weigh on her.