One of the five suspects. | Alejandro Sepúlveda

TW
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Earlier this week, the National Police arrested five German tourists in their twenties for the alleged rape of a German woman, also in her twenties.

On Wednesday night, the woman went to the beach area in Arenal (Playa de Palma) with some friends.

She met one of the five men, who suggested that they went back to his hotel.

She agreed, but when she entered his room, there were four other men.

She eventually managed to get out of the room and informed reception what had happened.

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The National Police were called, and they arrested the five, who maintained that sexual relations had been consensual and today it was announced that German authorities will be starting an investigation into allegations of the gang rape a spokesperson from the public prosecutor’s office in the western city of Hagen confirmed to DW.

The spokesperson, senior public prosecutor Gerhard Pauli, told the dpa news agency that German authorities were obliged to carry out their own investigation when German nationals are suspects in a crime committed abroad.

Pauli said, however, that more information from Spanish authorities had been requested so that the German investigation could commence.

A witness who had sat next to the men for five hours while they were in police custody and overheard conversations among them has also contacted German police, Pauli said.

The five suspects reportedly all come from the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.