German court punishes woman more harshly than convicted rapist because she called him a “disgraceful pig”

A woman in Germany was punished more harshly than a convicted rapist because she called the man a “disgraceful rapist pig.”

The woman was found guilty of defaming the man who was convicted of gang raping a 15-year-old girl in Hamburg in 2020. The Telegraph reported.

20-year-old Maja R. called the man a “shameful rapist pig” and a “disgusting freak” in a WhatsApp message, which is considered defamatory under German law.

While the convicted rapist received a suspended sentence without prison time due to his age, Maja was sentenced to a weekend in prison because of her words.

She sent him the messages after his name and number were leaked on Snapchat.

“Aren’t you ashamed when you look in the mirror? You can’t go anywhere without getting kicked in the face. Let’s hope you just get locked away,” Maja wrote to the man, calling him a “disgraceful rapist pig” and a “disgusting monster,” the publication reported.

All nine rapists were under 20 years old at the time of their conviction and were therefore subject to juvenile justice. Only one of them, who was 19 years old at the time and an Iranian citizen, was in prison for unknown reasons.

Maja’s conviction was supported by the fact that she had previously been convicted of theft and did not appear at the court hearing in that case, the release said.

Although Maja said she sent the message to the man “without thinking twice,” she later apologized to him and said in court that her action “didn’t help anyone.”

The incident in which Maja was sentenced to prison for “slandering” a rapist, but was released by the court, sparked a storm of outrage over alleged deficiencies in the German justice system.

The whole incident highlights Germany’s strict defamation laws, which can result in a prison sentence for even mild insults like “idiot.”