A German man has been found guilty of drugging and raping his unconscious wife for years and sharing video of his crimes on the internet, in a case that has drawn comparisons to the trial of Dominique Pelicot in France.

Fernando P., a 61-year-old school janitor, was found guilty of abusing his wife inside the couple’s home, filming it and then sharing it online without the victim’s knowledge.

He was sentenced Friday to 8 years and 6 months in prison following a trial at a court in Aachen, western Germany. An appeal may be filed against the judgment within one week, the court said.

  • porous_grey_matter@lemmy.mlEnglish
    17·
    11 hours ago

    There’s a fair argument for a longer sentence for such a horrible crime, but for Germany this is pretty long, prison sentences are not as inflated there as in the USA.

    • mcv@lemmy.zipEnglish
      10·
      11 hours ago

      It is pretty long by European standards. At the same time, it does feel unjust when the culprit gets a shorter sentence than he gave his victim.

      • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        1·
        7 hours ago

        My understanding of how most of Europe handles incarceration is that: instead of giving really long sentences, but allowing parole after x years like in the US, they give shorter sentences, and then they do a (yearly maybe?) review when the sentence is up to determine if the inmate has been rehabilitated enough to re-enter society.

        So a 5 year sentence in Europe can end up being longer in practice if they determine the person isn’t fit to leave.

      • Sculptor9157@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        8 hours ago

        Does Germany have a sex offender registry? If so, the social sentence may continue well after release. While not quite the same, hopefully she can begin healing and move on with her life while his torment just begins.