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Stefan R. in court (archive picture)
Photo: Paul Zinken / dpa
The Berlin district court has sentenced the 42-year-old Stefan R. to life imprisonment for murder.
The judges saw it as proven that the teacher killed a 43-year-old mechanic in September 2020 "to act out his cannibalism fantasies" and thus satisfy his sexual instinct.
The men had arranged to have sex in the teacher's apartment in Berlin-Pankow via a dating portal.
After the man was killed, the 42-year-old cut up the body and stored the parts in various places in Berlin.
The judges determined the severity of the defendant's guilt, which practically rules out early release.
With their verdict, they followed the application of the public prosecutor's office, which had previously applied for life imprisonment for murder and the determination of the particular severity of guilt.
The defense, however, had demanded an acquittal.
Corpse dismembered
According to the indictment, the victim had arranged to have a sex meeting with the accused on September 6, 2020 via a dating platform.
In R's apartment, he is said to have sedated the man with a drug, cut his throat and severed his genitals in order to eat them.
He is said to have dismembered the corpse and deposited the parts at various locations in Pankow.
The crime was discovered in November 2020 after human bones were found in the district.
Investigations showed that it was parts of the body of the 43-year-old from Berlin, who had been missing for several weeks.
Elaborate further investigations, including the evaluation of the dead person's cell phone data, then led to the suspect's apartment.
There, police officers found blood, other body parts and suspicious tools, among other things.
The defendant was arrested immediately after his home was searched and has been in custody ever since.
According to an expert, he is fully guilty.
After an initial silence, he expressed himself in the process, but rejected the allegation of killing.
ptz / AFP / dpa