‘NO MEANS NO’

German Woman Found Guilty of Sexual Assault for Sabotaging Partner’s Condoms

A German court ruled that ruining the rubbers constituted “sexual assault” since a man could be charged accordingly for removing a condom without a woman’s knowledge.

In a landmark case, a German court has found a woman guilty of sexual assault for secretly sabotaging her partner’s condoms, Deutsche Welle reports. The bizarre case unfolded when the couple met online in 2021 and began a “friends with benefits” sexual relationship. As the woman, 34, developed feelings that blossomed from “friendly” into “romantic,” she began poking holes in condoms the man, 42, kept near his bed. When she later confessed to trying (though failing) to get pregnant with the punctured rubbers, the man pressed charges. Judge Astrid Salewski of Bielefeld, Germany, concluded the infraction didn’t constitute rape, but determined “sexual assault” was fitting since a man could be charged accordingly for removing a condom without a woman’s knowledge. “This provision also applies in the reverse case. The condoms were rendered unusable without the man’s knowledge,” Salewski said of the “historic” case, adding, “No means no here as well.” For the nonconsensual insemination attempt, the unrequited lover faces a six-month suspended sentence.