The Braunschweig Regional Court decides a case. - Trial for Christian B.: Witness laments missing footage
A crucial witness in the rape case involving Christian B. expressed regret before the court that they couldn't locate two missing videos showing the alleged crimes. "I wished to find these videos again, so I wouldn't be considered a liar," stated the 53-year-old in the Braunschweig District Court on Wednesday. "It would have spared everyone a lot of effort if these videos were still available." The man had spoken to the court back in March, claiming to have recognized the defendant in two alleged rape films.
This same person is also considered a significant witness in the investigation regarding the disappearance of Madeleine McCann, who vanished from a Portuguese holiday complex in 2007. The McCann case, where Christian B. is a suspect, is not linked to the current trial. In this current case, the 47-year-old German faces charges of three counts of rape and two cases of child sexual abuse. Despite this, the presumption of innocence still holds.
The indictment alleges that B. raped an elderly woman, aged 70-80, in her Portuguese holiday home, filming the act in her bedroom between 2000 and 2006. Additionally, he is accused of raping a minor during the same time frame. Since both alleged victims are unknown, and the current whereabouts of the videos are unknown, the witness's testimony and trustworthiness are vital for the case's progress.
In March, the witness had disclosed that he had stolen from B. when he was in prison back in 2006 for diesel theft. The man claimed that he had taken a car, diesel, and video cameras with films from B.'s house in Portugal. Besides numerous party and travel mementos, he recalled watching episodes of the older woman and the girl. He later sold the cameras.
The whereabouts of the videos are still unknown. The witness had previously shown parts of the videos to a friend.
During the interrogation by the defense on Wednesday, it soon became apparent that the witness wasn't telling the truth in every detail. The witness initially denied using a Facebook account under an alternate name, but later admitted to it.
The trial will continue at 11:00 am on Thursday.
