German Diplomat In Custody For Alleged Murder of His Husband

German Diplomat In Custody For Alleged Murder of His Husband
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A German diplomat has been taken into custody in Brazil in connection with the alleged murder of his husband.

On Saturday, German Consul Uwe Herbert Hahn was taken into custody in Rio de Janeiro after his husband, Walter Henri Maximilien Biot, 52, was found dead in their apartment.

Trigger Warning: This story discusses a crime scene, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Attempted To Claim Diplomatic Immunity

Despite a claim of diplomatic immunity, Judge Rafael de Almeida Rezende ordered Hahn to be held in custody, citing alleged evidence tampering.

According to CNN, court documents state that “the apartment was cleaned before the forensics team carried out its examination, a fact that by itself demonstrates that the release of the suspect in custody could lead to serious encumbrances to the collection of evidence.”

In an interview with police, Hahn said that he and Biot we sitting on the couch when all of a sudden Biot got up, ran towards the balcony, and slipped and fell facedown on the floor. 

Court Papers Tell A Different Story

However, according to court papers, “several lesions on the victim’s body originating from blunt-force trauma, with one of the [lesions] compatible with a foot stomp and the other with the deployment of a cylindrical instrument (supposedly a wooden club).”

It went on to describe “blood splatter on the property, markedly in the couple’s bedroom and in the bathroom, compatible with the dynamics of a violent death.”

Despite the request for diplomatic immunity, Rezende ruled that “an arrest due to an intentional crime against life, committed inside the couple’s apartment (so outside of the consular environment) has no relation whatsoever to consular duties.”

According to Reuters, the couple had been together for 23 years.

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24-hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

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