- Four youths apprehended for committing a robbery instead of going on a date.
The meeting was set up through a dating app, but what followed wasn't affection, it was violence: Four young individuals are under suspicion for enticing a 57-year-old to Berlin's Jungfernheide station, intending to rob him. They're alleged to have shoved him into the Landwehr Canal, from where he barely escaped with great effort. The accused are currently in custody, as the prosecutor's office and the police have announced.
A warrant for arrest has been issued by a judge in relation to charges of aggravated robbery and causing grievous bodily harm. The investigators suspect that these men, aged between 18 and 20, would arrange dates with gay men through a dating platform, with the intention of robbery. There's a possibility that this group has committed similar crimes in the past.
On August 29, the men are said to have made off with the 57-year-old's wallet, phone, and watch. Following the victim's miraculous escape, the authorities initiated a manhunt for the suspects. With the aid of surveillance footage, including from Berlin's public transport providers, the suspects were eventually identified, as a spokesperson for the prosecutor's office revealed.
The charges against the young individuals include aggravated robbery and theft, as they allegedly took the victim's wallet, phone, and watch. Their criminal history is under investigation, as there are suspicions of them committing similar crimes before.
