Wednesday’s Berlin verdict will decide whether Zhiting S. — accused of sexual assault and other counts — was part of the Telegram network’s inner circle.
Prosecutors say he used medical training to advise chat members on sedatives for raping women, and that at least 1 attack in Frankfurt followed his guidance.
The wider German probe has already produced 3 convictions, including a 14-year sentence in February for alleged ringleader Dapeng Z., while investigators still have not disclosed the full number of victims or suspects.
Court documents show some chats dated back to at least 2020, with roughly 2 dozen groups and some memberships reaching 50,000, using code words to discuss drugging and assault.
The case has widened scrutiny of Telegram and fed broader international action, including Europol’s Project Medusa, which announced 57 arrests last week.