Criminal case of Lisa F.
In the Criminal case of Lisa F., German police have conducted criminal investigations of two men, one a Turkish citizen and one a German citizen of Turkish origin, who are suspected of having had sexual contact with a 13-year-old girl. Such contact would be a criminal offence under German law even if happened voluntarily.[1] Though the circumstances are still unclear, the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, accused German authorities of hushing up the case.[1] German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier rejected the allegations and warned Russia of "politicising" the case.[1][2] After the Russian media extensively covered the story and reported that the girl had been mistreated and held as a "sex slave", many Russian Germans reacted with anger and held demonstrations in several parts of Germany, amongst others in front of the Bundeskanzleramt in Berlin on 24 January.[1]
Incidents
On 11 January Lisa F. (name shortened in accordance with German privacy law), a 13-year-old Russian-German girl with dual citizenship from Berlin-Marzahn, disappeared on her way to school.[1][3] Her parents reported her missing to the police. The following day she returned and told her parents that she had been abducted by three unknown men of "southern" or "Arab" origin, who did not speak German well.[4] Furthermore, she initially told the police that she had been beaten and raped. During further questioning the girl told another version of the events, in which she went along with the men voluntarily. A spokesman for the prosecutor's office said: "We proceed from consensual sexual contact."[1] Berlin police also denied that there had been an abduction or rape,[4] but nonetheless conducted further criminal investigations against the two suspects.[1] Relatives of Lisa stuck to the allegations which the girl had raised at first.[1]
On 29 January a prosecutor's spokesman told the press that on the night in question the girl had been at the home of a 19-year-old male acquaintance, who is not suspected to have had sexual contact with her, but is considered a witness.[5] The police found that man by evaluating data from a cell phone, as the girl herself had told several versions of the story.[5] Apparently the girl wanted to get away and sought shelter at his home.[5] She had had problems in school and did not want to go to her parents.[3] Nevertheless, criminal investigation regarding severe child abuse continued against the two men, who are suspected to have had sexual contact with her in the months before her disappearance.[3][5][6] The age of consent in Germany is 14.
On 29 January Steinmeier and Lavrov agreed during a phone call not to broach the case any further.[7] On 31 January a speaker for the prosecutor's office told the press that the girl had "immediately admitted that the story of the rape was not true" when questioned by specialists three days after her disappearance.[8][9] However, on 1 February her mother, Svetlana F., repeated the allegations initially made by the girl, adding that Lisa had hematomas under her eyes and blood in her mouth when she came home.[6] The girl was treated in a hospital's psychiatric ward.[6]
Reactions
- Sergey Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, accused the German authorities of a tendency "to paint over reality in a politically correct manner for domestic political reasons." The girl had "clearly not disappeared for 30 hours voluntarily."[10]
- Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German foreign minister, warned Russia not to use the case for "political propaganda".[11] The Russian ambassador in Berlin was summoned to the German Foreign Ministry "for talks".[12]
- Karl-Georg Wellmann, Russia expert of the German CDU party, said: "The Lisa case is being used as further alleged evidence that the refugee crisis is no longer under control."[1]
Demonstrations
After the Russian media extensively covered the story and reported that the girl had been mistreated and held as a "sex slave", many Russian Germans reacted with anger; beginning on 18 January there were demonstrations in several parts of Germany, amongst others in front of the Bundeskanzleramt in Berlin on 23 January.[1][13][14][15]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fall Lisa: Das sind die Fakten, n-tv 27 January 2016, in German
- ^ Germany warns Russia over teen 'rape' case, BBC
- ^ a b c 13-Jährige versteckte sich wegen Schulproblemen, Die Welt, in German
- ^ a b Vergewaltigungsvorwürfe: Berlin weist Moskaus Kritik zurück, Süddeutsche Zeitung, in German
- ^ a b c d Angeblich vergewaltigtes Mädchen war bei einem Bekannten, Frankfurter Allgemeine, in German
- ^ a b c Mutter bleibt bei Lisas Version des Tathergangs, Rheinische Post, in German
- ^ Telefonat mit Steinmeier: Plötzlich will Lawrow "Fall Lisa" zu den Akten legen, Focus, in German
- ^ Russian-German girl 'admits making up' claim she was raped by refugees in Berlin, The Independent
- ^ German teenager 'made up' migrant rape claim, The Daily Telegraph
- ^ Angebliche Vergewaltigung einer 13-Jährigen: Russland wirft deutschen Behörden Vertuschung vor, Der Spiegel, in German
- ^ Fall Lisa: Steinmeier kritisiert Spekulationen aus Moskau, Frankfurter Neue Presse, in German
- ^ Steinmeier kritisiert Moskauer Spekulationen über 13-Jährige, Berliner Zeitung, in German
- ^ Polizei löst Versammlung gegen angebliche Vergewaltigung auf, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg 19 January 2016, in German
- ^ Russlanddeutsche ziehen vor das Kanzleramt, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg 23 January 2016, in German
- ^ Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Russlanddeutsche demonstrieren gegen "Ausländergewalt", Die Welt 25 January 2016, in German