Man sentenced to 18 years and 10 months for kidnapping, rape, and attempted murder of ex

A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to 18 years and 10 months in prison for kidnapping, raping, and attempting to murder his former partner. The crimes took place in August 2024, after the woman ended their relationship. The Almelo court also ordered him to pay more than 30,000 euros in compensation to the victim.

The man, from Gronau, Germany, had been in a 22-year relationship with the victim, with whom he shares five children, according to Transport Online. The court stated that he could not accept that the woman had ended the relationship roughly two years prior to the attack.

The man lured his former partner by asking her to take him to his supposedly broken-down car, parked in a remote area. There, he retrieved a stun gun and tape from the trunk and forced her into her vehicle. During a drive lasting several hours, he assaulted, strangled, and raped her, the court found. He ultimately released her.

Throughout the hours-long drive, the man made multiple stops in remote areas. The victim endured repeated threats to her life alongside the sexual assault and physical abuse.

Once the man released her, the woman, injured and dressed only in a sweater, made her way home. Her daughter subsequently called the police.

The court imposed a sentence exceeding the prosecution’s recommendation. Prosecutors had sought ten years in prison plus involuntary psychiatric treatment at a TBS facility, or alternatively 16 years without TBS. The judges ruled that forced treatment was not applicable, as no mental disorder was diagnosed. The longer sentence reflects the severe fear and trauma the man inflicted on the victim.