Rejected asylum seeker sentenced for raping Swiss student
A man whose asylum application was rejected has been sentenced by a Zurich court to eight years in prison for rape and will be deported.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ac
In September 2018, the man broke into his victim’s apartment in Zurich and raped her. The Zurich cantonal court on Tuesday reduced his sentence by one year on appeal.
The 34-year-old had always denied the accusation. He claimed that the student was an acquaintance.
However, during the appeal hearing on Tuesday morning before the Zurich court, he read a statement in which he apologised to his victim for having raped her. At the end of the hearing, the judges found the accused guilty of rape and trespassing but dismissed charges of coercion and bodily harm. They sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment and expulsion from Swiss soil for 15 years. At first instance, the district court had handed down a sentence of nine years and an expulsion order for the same length of time. His name will be entered in the Schengen information system database and therefore he will not be able to enter the Schengen area for 15 years.
The man had already been convicted of crimes 11 times in two years in Switzerland and four times in Italy between 2011 and 2014. He raped the young woman in Zurich while he was on probation after a conviction.
Switzerland commits CHF50 million to combat rural poverty worldwide
This content was published on
The Federal Council approved a contribution of CHF49.5 million ($54.1 million) for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
Arrests made in raid against Turkish criminal organisation
This content was published on
A cross-border raid against a Turkish criminal organisation was conducted, including property searches in cantons Aargau and Zurich.
Up to 4,000 Swiss army soldiers to protect Ukraine peace conference
This content was published on
The Federal Council has authorised deployment of army personnel for the Ukraine peace conference on the Bürgenstock in June.
This content was published on
The business association, Swissmem, reports that there are increasing signs that the bottom of the downturn will be reached this year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Women demand better protection against sexual violence
This content was published on
One year after the historic women’s strike on June 14, 2019, a national appeal has been launched for a “modern sexual criminal law”.
This content was published on
Switzerland intends to provide CHF61 million this year for measures to assist the Syrian population and those in neighbouring countries.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.