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2mo ago

Hamburg Court Hands Sect Founder Five-Year Sentence for Sexual Assaults

Survivors criticize the ruling as too lenient after the 52-year-old was convicted on seven counts of abuse following his UK extradition.

Im Hamburger Strafjustizgebäude wurde am Donnerstag das Urteil gesprochen
Ein mutmaßlicher Sektenanführer ist wegen sexueller Übergriffe auf Anhängerinnen und Körperverletzung vom Landgericht Hamburg zu einer mehrjährigen Haftstrafe verurteilt worden. Der Angeklagte erhielt eine Gesamtfreiheitsstrafe von fünf Jahren.

Overview

  • A Hamburg regional court convicted the 52-year-old founder on six counts of sexual assault and one count of bodily injury for abuses against five women between 2017 and 2020.
  • The judge ruled that the defendant built a system that preyed on followers' faith by using false promises, threats of curses and claims of divine authority to coerce compliance.
  • After being arrested in the United Kingdom, the accused was extradited to Germany and faced a trial that began in November 2024 before Thursday’s verdict.
  • Although the original indictment listed 16 alleged offenses, the court substantiated seven and imposed a five-year prison term subject to potential appeal.
  • Victims and their attorney have denounced the sentence as insufficient given the severity of the trauma and are exploring further legal options.