Overview
- Police showed author Claudia Wuttke video files in June 2025 that reportedly contain 67 recordings of sexual assaults spanning about 16 years.
- The Hamburg prosecutor initially discontinued investigations into 65 of those incidents because they were judged time‑barred under current law while two recent or qualified counts are moving toward trial.
- Wuttke filed a complaint against the discontinuations and prosecutors say they will reopen their review to reassess whether more cases can be pursued.
- Hamburg’s Justice Senator Anna Gallina will push state ministers at the June 11–12 conference to restore longer limitation periods and the federal justice ministry is reportedly examining possible legislative changes.
- The legal problem traces to a 2016 reform that reclassified some rape offenses and, by changing how they are qualified, cut the limitation period from about 20 years to five years which can block prosecution when victims discover abuse only years later.