Trial in Berlin: Sex workers go on trial for death of a guest following injections

Background of the act

According to information from a defense lawyer, the court has the following sequence of events before it: The 41-year-old and the guest had met in early 2024, according to a defense lawyer. Thereafter, the man had brought up the anesthetic on his own initiative - „er wollte es probieren". Eventually, the 41-year-old had „mit privater Absicht angerufen".

The 41-year-old is said to have asked her co-defended former colleague for assistance with the injections because she had no experience handling the medication. During the events in April 2024 in a studio in Berlin-Charlottenburg, the man collapsed during sexual intercourse. After receiving injections, he collapsed during sex and died shortly afterward.

When the man lost consciousness, the women immediately began resuscitation measures and alerted the fire department. Nevertheless, all help came too late; the guest died at the scene.

Statements of the defendants

At the start of the trial, the women initially did not address the charges, but briefly commented through their lawyers on their personal circumstances. Both stated that they had worked as part-time dominatrices. According to her defense lawyer, the older of the two has completely given up her work as a dominatrix and has since been working as a nursing assistant.

The defense emphasizes that the 42-year-old still does not know today what caused the man's death. She is „über das Geschehene entsetzt" and still does not know to this day what the man died of. The lawyers announced that they would examine the allegation of gross negligence.

Further course of the proceedings

Four additional hearing days up to 21 July are currently scheduled for the trial. This means that in the coming weeks the Regional Court will evaluate both the defendants' statements and the toxicological expert reports on the specific substance and its dosage.

The case raises fundamental questions regarding the criminal-law assessment of actions within the framework of consensually agreed services. The prosecution expressly relies on the women's prior knowledge of the risks, while the defense emphasizes the unresolved causal chain. Observers expect medical experts to play a central role.

The proceedings are being conducted at the Berlin Regional Court under the presidency of a criminal division. Should the court uphold the charges in the indictment, the women face severe penalties for bodily harm resulting in death, which could significantly exceed the minimum range for simple dangerous bodily harm.