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Stendal Court to Reopen Rape Trial After Lay Judge Arrives Heavily Intoxicated

The court cites the lay judge’s alcohol addiction as the reason to restart the proceedings.

Overview

  • The trial will be reopened Friday with replacement lay judges, with all previously scheduled dates preserved.
  • A breath test measured the lay judge at 2.66 per mille, according to court spokesman Michael Steenbuck.
  • The chamber removed the lay judge from the case because his condition did not guarantee an undisturbed process.
  • He faces a potential Ordnungsgeld and must cover the costs from the wasted hearings on 7 and 12 November 2025.
  • The case involves allegations of a late‑February break‑in, theft, repeated rapes and knife threats against a mobility‑impaired woman; an interpreter missed the first session and the alleged victim has not yet testified.