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An enraged wife and her ex-husband’s mistress are accused of teaming up to hire henchmen to kidnap and torture the husband, who they describe as “abusive.”
The ex-wife Yvonne Schmidt, 39, and the victim’s mistress Birgit Koenig, 37, are accused of the plot to kidnap and torture Thomas L., who is still undergoing psychiatric counseling and wasn’t able to attend trial on Monday.
What Happened To Thomas L?
In 2015, Thomas L. allegedly kidnapped at a truck stop in Berlin. He was then striped naked, bound with gaffer tape, blindfolded and placed in the back of a refrigerated van. He was driven to a remote forest, and was dragged out of the vehicle by one of the four “hired heavies” who told him to “stop bothering Yvonne or you’ll really get it.”
Thomas L was then beaten and told to count to 100. After he finished counting, Thomas removed his blindfold to find himself naked in two degree Celsius, which is a temperature of 35.6 Fahrenheit.
He was able to flag down a car, who drove him to a police station. He was then taken to a hospital to be treated for severe skull and stomach injuries.
What Happened During The Trial?
Yvonne Schmidt appeared for her first day in court on Monday, and admitted the charges. She claimed that her now ex-husband abused her for the ten years they were together and described his kidnapping as a “spontaneous and unplanned action.”
Schmidt testified that her husband’s harassment continued long after they broke up. She claims to have felt “persecuted and watched”.
The mistress, Birgit Koenig, has yet to testify in court. She hasn’t told authorities why she may have joined forces with Schmidt to enact revenge on her lover. However, she did tell police that the victim had been unfaithful to her.
Ms. Schmidt claimed in court that she “didn’t know” the men who carried out the kidnapping. She claims to have only met the men a short while later in a supermarket parking lot.
The judge reportedly refused to believe that the defendant, Ms. Schmidt didn’t know the men. He warned her that if she doesn’t give up their names, that she’d face a much stiffer sentence. The henchmen who carried out the crime are still at large.
The victim, Thomas L, was reportedly too traumatized to appear in court.
The verdict for this case is expected by early next month.
