German cannibalism killing case retrial begins in Dresden

BERLIN – A German police officer is being retried on allegations he killed and dismembered a man he met in an internet chat forum devoted to cannibalism.

Detlev G., whose last name wasn’t released in line with German privacy laws, went on trial Tuesday at Dresden state court.

He was convicted last year of killing a 59-year-old businessman from Hannover in 2013 “to fulfil his sexual desires.” Prosecutors say the victim fantasized about being eaten, but there was no evidence the suspect actually did so.

The conviction was overturned in April after an appeals court ruled the lower court hadn’t thoroughly examined whether the victim killed himself, and erred in reducing a possible life sentence to 8 1/2 years on the grounds that the victim had expressed a desire to be killed.