Rapist escapes from preventive detention in Berlin
A 57-year-old man, who had served five years in prison for bodily harm and rape, escaped from the Sicherheitsverwahrung (Security Custody) of Berlin's JVA Tegel prison on a Saturday. The man had been on the run since Saturday afternoon around 5:25 p.m., according to the Berlin Senate Department for Justice. He reportedly used a visit to his mother's house in Berlin-Neukölln as an opportunity to escape. It is unclear how many justice officials were accompanying him at the time.
The man was sentenced to five years in prison for bodily harm and rape, a sentence he had already served since 2015. He had been in Security Custody at JVA Tegel since then, which he was allowed to leave regularly. "The 42 escorts all went smoothly," the Senate Department for Justice added.
Unlike prison, Security Custody is not a punishment. Its purpose is to protect the public from offenders who have completed their sentences but are still considered dangerous. The conditions in Security Custody must therefore be significantly better than in prison, and there should be a greater offering of therapy.
Another serious offender, a double murderer, escaped from Berlin after taking advantage of his first unaccompanied furlough on June 20. He was recaptured 54 hours later in a neighboring Brandenburger community and is now back in JVA Tegel. The Berlin Justice Administration announced an investigation into the offender's release conditions.
According to the Justice Administration, the man has been in prison since 1995 for committing two murders and was therefore sentenced to life imprisonment. He was reportedly granted regular furloughs starting in 2005. The prison authorities are constitutionally obliged to grant such furloughs, as stated - but until now, always in the presence of an escort.
Before inmates can leave prison unaccompanied, the Justice Administration stated that "comprehensive review procedures" are carried out. This includes a forensic-psychiatric evaluation by an external expert.
Already in February, a convicted rapist used a supervised furlough in Berlin to escape. The 54-year-old man, who was also in the Security Custody of JVA Tegel, was recaptured in Schleswig-Holstein after about three days. According to the Justice Administration, the furloughs were suspended following his escape.
The international community is calling for justice in the case of the escaped rapist, highlighting the need for stricter security measures in JVA Tegel. Despite serving his five-year sentence for rape in Berlin's JVA Tegel, the man's escape raises concerns about the effectiveness of unaccompanied furloughs for individuals convicted of such serious crimes.
