When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in .

You've reached your limit of one free article.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime .

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Exclusive International news coverage

Ad-free experience NEW

Weekly digital Magazine NEW

9 daily & weekly Newsletters

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Free trial

30-days free access, then $2.90
per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Germany

German S&M Sex Workers Accused Of Prepping Clients With Addictive Painkillers

Munich police have raided several “studios” where prostitutes are believed to have administered powerful painkillers before performing intense sadomasochistic services. The studio cost one client 70,000 euros a year, after he became more hooked on the dru

German S&M Sex Workers Accused Of Prepping Clients With Addictive Painkillers
Susi Wimmer

MUNICH – For the past several months, Munich police have been investigating sex workers accused of injecting consenting clients with a local anesthetic before performing particularly painful sadomasochistic practices. Some clients may have even become addicted to the substance.

On Monday, police carried out raids on various "studios," where they arrested several prostitutes and seized hundreds of bottles of Procaine, the anesthetic in question. Procaine is used in dentistry and cancer treatment.

One 45-year-old Munich man spent more than 70,000 euros in the studios over the past year and a half. After a few "sessions' he became so addicted to the anesthetic that he sold his car and took out loans to feed his dependence. He ended up going to the police, who were already investigating two studios and several apartments in the city and surrounding area since the beginning of the year. Police claim the prostitutes not only injected Procaine under clients' skin but, in some cases, directly into their veins.

A 47-year-old man linked to one of the dominatrixes said the prostitutes would inject the drug before the start of a session. It made "special" practices bearable, indeed even possible. During the sessions, the sex workers had to top up the shots one or more times on their more or less conscious clients.

Aside from being dangerous in itself, intravenous delivery of Procaine in significant doses can have long-term physical and mental health consequences, and is sometimes fatal. In addition, the Procaine administered by the sex workers was part of a "drug cocktail" that either enhanced or watered down its effects with unknown consequences.

During the Monday raids, police found large quantities of Procaine in the studios and apartments. One 34-year-old worker had 100 bottles in her possession; a 42-year-old had a supply of 145 bottles. The police also found 10,000 euros in cash during the raids.

The six prostitutes and the 47-year-old man were released after questioning. They are being charged with causing grievous bodily harm, illegally administering injections (only medically trained personnel may give shots) and tampering with medication. It is unclear where they acquired the Procaine; however, depending on the manufacturer, it is not always a prescription drug in Germany.

Read the original story in German

Photo - ricoeurian

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

FOCUS: Israel-Palestine War

After Abbas: Here Are The Three Frontrunners To Be The Next Palestinian Leader

Israel and the West have often asked: Where is the Palestinian Mandela? The divided regimes between Gaza and the West Bank continues to make it difficult to imagine the future Palestinian leader. Still, these three names are worth considering.

Photo of Mahmoud Abbas speaking into microphone

Abbas is 88, and has been the leading Palestinian political figure since 2005

Thaer Ganaim/APA Images via ZUMA
Elias Kassem

Updated Dec. 5, 2023 at 12:05 a.m.

Israel has set two goals for its Gaza war: destroying Hamas and releasing hostages.

But it has no answer to, nor is even asking the question: What comes next?

The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the return of the current Palestinian Authority to govern post-war Gaza. That stance seems opposed to the U.S. Administration’s call to revitalize the Palestinian Authority (PA) to assume power in the coastal enclave.

For the latest news & views from every corner of the world, Worldcrunch Today is the only truly international newsletter. Sign up here.

But neither Israel nor the U.S. put a detailed plan for a governing body in post-war Gaza, let alone offering a vision for a bonafide Palestinian state that would also encompass the West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority, which administers much of the occupied West Bank, was created in1994 as part of the Oslo Accords peace agreement. It’s now led by President Mahmoud Abbas, who succeeded Yasser Arafat in 2005. Over the past few years, the question of who would succeed Abbas, now 88 years old, has largely dominated internal Palestinian politics.

But that question has gained new urgency — and was fundamentally altered — with the war in Gaza.

Keep reading...Show less

The latest