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Germany Moves to Impose Five-Year Minimum for Rape or Robbery Using 'K.O. Drops'

The Justice Ministry's draft seeks to close a gap created by a ruling that said knockout drops are not a dangerous instrument.

Overview

  • The Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection published the proposal on Monday.
  • The bill would equate the covert use of such sedatives with using a weapon or dangerous instrument in these crimes.
  • Because the Federal Court of Justice excluded K.O. drops from that category last year, such cases have typically drawn minimum terms of about three years.
  • Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig called the offenses particularly perfidious and cited the Gisèle Pelicot case as a brutal example.
  • The measure remains a draft that must go through consultation and parliamentary consideration before it can take effect.