Individuals under scrutiny for recording a group sexual assault in Iserlohn.
In the aftermath of an alleged gang rape incident in Iserlohn, Sauerland region, authorities have obtained a mobile phone video of the crime. This evidence was discovered on one of the accused's devices, according to Michael Burggraf, spokesperson for the Hagen Public Prosecutor's Office. As earlier reported by Bild, the perpetrators were reportedly recording the assault using their phones.
The incident, which occurred late Saturday night into Sunday morning, allegedly involved several assailants attacking a 30-year-old Iranian refugee in an abandoned brewery building. They bound him and subjected him to a group sexual assault, with the primary intent of inflicting moral humiliation, as stated by the investigators. Four men aged 24, 34, 42, and 46 were quickly apprehended near the scene and have been in custody since Monday.
Two other suspects are still at large
Two additional suspected individuals remain unidentified and at large, noted the senior public prosecutor. The victim had originally claimed he was assaulted by six men.
The 30-year-old victim had openly criticized the Iranian political leadership and faced persecution as a refugee. The detained accused parties, however, denied any involvement and claimed Danish and Dutch citizenship in addition to Iranian roots. They voluntarily refrained from commenting on the charges against them.
The possibility of a political motive under scrutiny
Given the political nature of the victim's stance, state protection agencies have taken charge of the investigation. Yet, a definite political motive behind the crime has yet to be confirmed. The verification of the suspected individuals' statements regarding their identities is still underway, as they did not have their passports on hand. Their claims are now being verified in their respective homelands, as per Burggraf. "This is an ongoing process," he added.
The authorities in the European Union are closely monitoring the situation, given the victim's political status as a critic of the Iranian regime. The European Union has expressed its concern over the incident and its potential implications for refugees in Germany.
