Four adolescent Germans have been granted freedom from custody in Mallorca, following over a year of preliminary imprisonment.
Four German men, allegedly implicated in a group sexual assault, have secured temporary freedom following over a year's incarceration on Mallorca. A trusted source in Palma verified the news to dpa. Initial details and motives behind their liberation, as reported first by "Bild", remained unclear.
The group of vacationers are under scrutiny for coercing an 18-year-old female compatriot, whom one of them had encountered at the Ballermann beach, into sexual activity or passively watching. Law enforcement claims that one of the suspects captured the incident on his phone in July 2023.
Arrested on Mallorca under suspicion of gang rape, the five individuals ranged in age from 21 to 23. Sources confirmed by dpa that they hailed from North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically the Märkischer Kreis in the Sauerland region. The Hagen public prosecutor's office maintains its probe against the five, as declared on Wednesday.
Previously, one member of the German circle was discharged prematurely. It was reported at the time that he managed to prove his innocence regarding the alleged assault.
The release of all suspects does not signify the conclusion of the case. The investigation will carry on, leveraging the available information. Spanish law mandates a maximum sentence of 12 years in prison for individuals convicted of such offenses.
The suspect who was discharged earlier was also from North Rhine-Westphalia, specifically from the same region as the other four German men. Despite being released, the German group continues to face investigation for the alleged assault in Spain.
