- Sexual assault is alleged to have happened in a flat in the Wedding area of Berlin
- Prosecutor’s office said the man, 39, let out his flat to her before going in for kiss
- He is accused of then trapping her in his two-room flat and abusing her further
- But he denies all the charges and said he thought she might have been a ‘spy’
A landlord accused of sexually assaulting a young British woman in his Berlin flat after renting out a room to her has claimed he thought she ‘might be a spy’.
The woman, who was staying in the Wedding area of the German capital for a business trip, said that as she was unpacking her suitcase the man assaulted her.
Neither the woman nor the man can be named under strict German privacy laws, but the defendant’s age can be reported as 39.
The indictment made available for the trial explains that the woman arrived at the shared flat shortly after midnight.
The woman, who was staying in the Wedding area of the German capital for a business trip, said that as she was unpacking her suitcase the man assaulted her
It goes on: ‘Soon after, he tried to kiss and embrace her.’
According to the state prosecutor’s office, the landlord then allegedly trapped the woman in the room and continued to abuse her.
She was only able to escape her ordeal by warning the Berlin police by text message about her situation, it has been claimed.
But the man has denied all charges in court.
He said he asked the woman to leave his two-room flat shortly after they met.
He said he did not know ‘who she really is’ and thought that ‘perhaps she might be a spy’.
According to the defendant, he has been persecuted for a long time, although he did not expand on that point.
He has been charged with sexual assault and grievous bodily harm.
The trial, which began yesterday, will continue tomorrow.