He said such things were perfectly normal in his Egyptian homeland, and he was shocked when he learned through a translator that he had broken the law.
The man, identified as 29 year old Aly E, is on trial in the German capital Berlin for allegedly assaulting 13 women, six of them sexually, between April 2015 and February 2018 on the capital city’s metro system.
Aly, who came to Germany when he was 14 and still does not speak German, confessed to the sexual assaults but said it was unfair that he was prosecuted.
He told the court: “In Egypt this happens frequently, it isn’t penalised. I’m not well versed in law. There were no police in my village. Nobody told me that this was wrong here.”
He has also been accused of masturbating in public, public indecency, asking women for sex, grabbing them by the bottom and putting his hand between their legs.
According to the indictment, he grabbed a woman “from behind under the dress whereby he masturbated at the same time” on 17th February.
The judge asked him: “So you think one is allowed to do something like that here in Germany. Grabbing women between the legs and exposing oneself in public is allowed here?” He then told the judge that such behaviour had also been inspired by the fact that he had been taking a cocktail of drugs, alcohol and Viagra tablets.
The court is expected to reach a verdict on August 2.