Crime: Young people forced into prostitution? Start of process

Two men are said to have lured gay young people to parties in Düsseldorf, made them compliant with drugs and then offered them to older clients for prostitution. The 25- and 30-year-olds must answer for this before the Düsseldorf regional court. The proceedings, which began on Tuesday, are taking place in a juvenile criminal chamber because the younger of the two defendants was still an adolescent at the time of the crime.

The defendants, who come from Lake Constance and Switzerland, followed the reading of the charges attentively, but avoided looking into the audience. Both wore white shirts, their hair fashionably cut, their faces only turned towards the punishment chamber.

The indictment accuses them of rape, pimping, human trafficking, forced prostitution, possession of child pornography and supplying narcotics to minors. The alleged victims were between 15 and 17 years old at the times of the offenses listed in the indictment in 2020 and 2022.

According to the prosecution, the then 19- and 24-year-olds made contact with minors via social media and invited them to parties in the apartment they shared in Düsseldorf. The two defendants are supposed to be targeting young-looking, blonde, petite gay boys.

According to the prosecution, the young people were lured into the apartment with promises of luxury, supposed love or permanent accommodation. At parties they were made submissive with alcohol and drugs and were either raped by the defendants themselves or given to older johns. According to the indictment, a 17-year-old was convinced to “earn his living through prostitution in the escort sector”.

A 17-year-old teenager was also pressured by the younger defendant to earn her rent this way. According to the indictment, the young victims were offered to suitors on relevant online portals.

At the start, only the younger defendant provided information about his career. The 30-year-old main defendant, however, remained silent. His defense attorney announced that he would say something on the next day of the trial. The 25-year-old explained that he was teased at school early on. “Because I was skinny and discovered that I liked boys.”

For the rest of the trial - six more days of hearings until the end of October - the public was excluded at the request of the defense for youth protection reasons. This means that the future statements of the defendants, witnesses and the plea deals are not public.

The two defendants were arrested in Düsseldorf at the beginning of July 2022 after several reports, but were then released under certain conditions. As a result, according to the court, the now 30-year-old went into hiding, was wanted with an international arrest warrant and was arrested at the end of August.

Both defendants said that morning that they were engaged. Well with each other, it is said from the process environment. Then they wouldn't have to testify against each other.