German prosecutors have charged a 68-year-old electrician in Berlin with 22 counts of sexual assault against 14 women. The man, a German citizen, met the women through online dating apps. According to the charges, he drugged the women until they were unconscious, assaulted them, and filmed the attacks. None of the 14 victims had any memory of what happened to them. The Guardian first reported the story on July 15, 2026.

BBC News confirmed on July 14 that the man met the women through dating apps. The Guardian's report on July 15 gave the full picture: 22 counts of sexual assault, and the man's identity as a German electrician. The Deccan Chronicle reported on July 16 that none of the 14 victims could remember the assaults. (Deccan Chronicle)

The case comes down to two things: drugs that left the women unable to resist or remember, and videos the accused made of the attacks. Because the women have no memory of what happened, they cannot describe the assaults in court. But the films give prosecutors direct evidence of the crimes. The complete memory loss across all 14 victims suggests the use of strong sedatives, a tactic often seen in date rape cases. The recordings take the place of the testimony the victims simply cannot give.

The 22 charges against 14 victims mean some women are connected to more than one charge, likely matching separate incidents caught on film. In the German legal system, the videos are the heart of the case. Since the victims cannot remember anything, they cannot tell the court whether they agreed to what happened. Prosecutors will instead use the recordings and lab results showing what drugs were involved to prove the women were unconscious and could not consent.

The dating apps were how the accused first contacted the women and arranged to meet them in person. The fact that there are 14 victims shows a repeated pattern, not a one-time event. He moved from online contact to physical assault in a consistent way each time.

The broader context here is the unusual challenge this case presents for the Berlin court. The trial will likely focus on the forensic details of the videos and the drug evidence rather than on what the victims can recall. The court has to match each of the 22 charges to the right evidence for each of the 14 victims. Because the man is German and the crimes happened in Berlin, the city's prosecutors have full authority over the case. Winning convictions on all 22 counts will depend on whether the court accepts the videos and drug test results as proof, since the victims' own memories cannot help.