German firefighter who raped unconscious friend has been spared because his job sparked outrage
A German firefighter accused of raping an unconscious woman has been spared a prison sentence after a court said it was important he kept his job.
The Munich judge’s decision to sentence Thomas B, 28, to 11 months’ probation has sparked outrage in Germany for favoring the perpetrator’s career over the victim.
If the firefighter’s sentence had lasted more than a year, he would have lost his civil servant status, but according to German outlet ZS, the judge believed the outcome would have been “very harsh.”
The rape took place in February 2022 when Thomas, from Munich, sexually assaulted his girlfriend Jennifer L after the two saw each other at a party.
Jennifer invited Thomas to her home for one last drink after he confided in her about his recent divorce from his wife.
She fell asleep, but woke up hours later to find her underwear had been removed and Thomas was touching her inappropriately.
The court heard video testimony from Jennifer in which she described the psychological toll the incident had had on her.
“The days after the crime were horrible, very horrible,” she said, recounting her ongoing struggles with sleep, hypervigilance and discomfort around men who looked like Thomas.
A German firefighter accused of raping an unconscious friend has been spared a prison sentence after a court said it was important he kept his job
Image shows an aerial view of Munich. Munich judge’s decision to sentence Thomas B, 28, to 11 months’ probation has sparked outrage in Germany
The court was “confident” that the crime had occurred as Jennifer had stated and acknowledged that she “will not be the same for the rest of her life.”
However, the court justified the lenient sentence by claiming that the perpetrator was very young and that the rape was an “immature reaction” by Thomas due to his recent divorce.
The court also argued that Thomas was “still young” at the time of the incident.
Meanwhile, Thomas, who claimed to have no memory of the attack due to his drunken state, admitted his guilt, expressed remorse and said he trusted Jennifer’s story.
He was also ordered to pay compensation of around £5,000 to the victim and will have to complete 80 hours of community service.
The Munich Public Prosecution Service now wants to appeal.
“We believe that the sentence should have been higher and that is why we have requested a probation period of one year and six months,” chief prosecutor Anne Leiding told the German magazine Merkur.
“In our view, the significant aggravating circumstances are the enormous consequences for the victim and the particular breach of trust that accompanied the course of events,” she added.
Under German law, rape is punishable by a minimum sentence of two years, with a maximum of fifteen years.