Russia sparks diplomatic incident with Germany over 'cover-up' of teen raped by Arabi

Russia sparks diplomatic incident with Germany over 'cover-up' of teen raped by Arabic man

RUSSIA is turning the alleged rape of a teenager in Berlin by "Arabic looking men" into a diplomatic incident.

By ALLAN HALL
PUBLISHED: 00:00, Tue, Jan 26, 2016


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Russia has accused German police of covering up a teen raped by Arabic men

The Kremlin accused Germany of "covering up reality in a politically correct manner for the sake of domestic politics" the alleged rape of a 13-year-old girl identified only as Lisa.

The student from Berlin-Marzahn was reported missing on January 11. She resurfaced 30 hours later and filed a police report claiming to have been abducted by three men at a railway station in eastern Berlin, Russian government officials claim.

Lisa, the child of Russian immigrants in Berlin, says she was taken to an apartment where she was "beaten and sexually assaulted" by men speaking "broken German".

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said: "I hope there will be no repeat of cases like that with our Lisa. It's completely clear that she didn't disappear voluntarily for 30 hours."

But Berlin police furiously deny this version of events. They say that she DID go missing - but that any sexual contact she had seems to have been consensual.

"We cannot say more out of respect for the girl and her family and the privacy of all," said a spokesman. Berlin prosecutors are investigating the incident.

Martin Steltner, a spokesman for the prosecutor's office, said there were only indications of "consensual sexual contact."

The age of consent in Germany is 14. He didn't comment on whether he would investigate the alleged perpetrators for having sex with a minor.

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Hundreds demonstrated against violence and for more security in Germany after the alleged rapehttp://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/...sia-448609.jpgCORBIS
Banners read 'We're against the refugees' and 'Lisa we're with you'

It's completely clear that she [Lisa] didn't disappear voluntarily for 30 hours
Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister

But the damage seems to have been done in terms of relations with Russian immigrants in Germany.

The case triggered fury, with Russian media and members of the far right accusing police of attempting to cover up crimes committed by refugees.

Some drew comparisons with German police's initial silence after sex attacks on hundreds of women in Cologne on New Year's Eve - most of which were allegedly committed by men of North African and Arab origin.

Over the weekend thousands of Russians protested in various towns, including 700 in Berlin who turned up to a demonstration outside Chancellor Angela Merkel's office.

The crowd held banners reading: "We're against the refugees" and "Lisa we're with you".

Russian Germans protested in Berlin over the weekend, calling for their children to be protected from "migrant violence."

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Some drew comparisons with German police's initial silence after sex attacks on women in Cologne

They were backed by supporters of "Bärgida," the Berlin branch of the anti-immigrant Pegida movement.

Lisa's aunt told a Russian TV channel that "an Arabic looking man" kidnapped her on January 11. It is further alleged that, with two accomplices, she was thrown on to a bed and raped for 30 straight hours.

In the days following the girl's disappearance, pro-Kremlin channel NTV added: "In Germany and in Sweden, residents are regularly raped by refugees... but the local authorities and police hide these facts and do not open criminal investigations."

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