A victim of the New Year’s Eve sexual assaults in the German city of Dusseldorf identified her attacker after he went on television to talk about his involvement in a pickpocketing gang.
The 33-year-old Moroccan suspect, identified by police as Taoufik M, got away with allegedly groping an 18-year-old girl in Dusseldorf. Instead of keeping a low profile, he went on television to talk about his pickpocketing habit in the documentary “King of the Pickpockets.”
“There are always a couple of people who steal,” he said in the documentary. “One steals a pair of pants, another steals a mobile phone or a bag. Everyone works alone.”
One of the 5 million people who watched the documentary on Spiegel TV was his victim. She said she was left “speechless” when she spotted her attacker, according to the Tuesday report.
“We’re really pleased that the woman recognized the man on television and that she is prepared to testify against him,” Cologne police spokesman Markus Niesczery said. “It means we have managed to jail the accused while the investigation continues.”
The man was taken into custody Saturday. He is charged with sexual assault and attempted assault. Police revealed that the man lived in Italy before moving to Germany.
Gangs sexually assaulted women in several German cities on New Year’s Eve. More than 1,000 criminal complaints have been filed over attacks in the city of Cologne, with 73 suspects identified so far.
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