German court acquits men in Heinsberg group rape case

The Landgericht Aachen acquitted two men accused of a group rape in Heinsberg after video evidence and inconsistencies in the victim’s testimony showed no forced sexual act. The court found the encounter consensual, and no appeal was filed, making the verdict final. Earlier, three other suspects in the case had already had their charges dropped.

National statistics on false sexual‑crime reports show the phenomenon is rare. The Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) recorded 334 alleged false sexual‑offence cases nationwide in the past year, up slightly from 321 the year before, while the PKS documented nearly 14,000 rapes for the same period. Experts stress the need for balanced reporting to protect both victims of sexual violence and those falsely accused.