SEXUAL OFFENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23501, 16 May 1938, Page 9

SEXUAL OFFENCES

. GERMAN TENNIS PLAYER ! VON CRAMM SENTENCED ■ - BERLIN, May 14. (Received May 15, at 5.5 p.m.) The trial of von Cramm was held in a special court at 10 a.m. No witnesses were called for the prosecution, but junior counsel for the defence, Herr Langbiel. called seven witnesses, who testified to von Cramm’s character. Judge Sponer announced that von Cramm was charged under paragraph 175 of the Penal Code dealing with sexual offences. The Public Prosecutor applied for a hearing in camera. Von Cramm’s chief counsel, Dr Gehricke, assented, and 15 foreign journalists and a number of spectators were ordered to leave the court. Von Cramm, who was dressed in a black suit, was pale, but his countenance was immobile. He clearly and tersely answered questions concerning his parentage and other details. The prosecutor left the court at 11.20 a.m., and announced that the trial was over. Half an hour later the judge, in passing sentence, stated that von Cramm was unhanoily married to an unfaithful wife. Von Cramm then committed offences on a young actor and Visited homo-sexual night clubs before 1933, Later he was blackmailed for over £2OOO, The judge pointed out that while his services to German sport i v/ould be taken into account, he had | also damaged the reputation of German sport. Von Cramm was convicted and sentenced to a year’s imprisonment, less two months already served.