The defendant is led into the courtroom at the regional court in Kempten, Germany (Picture: AP)
A man has admitted to charges of rape and murder after allegedly pushing two young women into a ravine.
It happened on a bridge near the Marienbruecke, a bridge that offers a view of Neuschwanstein, one of Germany’s most famous attractions on June 14 last year.
The 31-year-old American man, who can’t be named due to German privacy laws, admitted the charges at the start of his trial.
Defendants in the German legal system do not formally enter pleas to charges.
Prosecutors say he met by chance the 21 and 22-year-old American females on a hiking path and lured them off trail.
He then forced the younger woman to the ground and tried to undress her.
A scuffle happened when the older woman tried to intervene but he pushed her down a steep 50 metre slope where she sustained a head injury, bruises and grazes but she survived.
He then allegedly strangled the younger woman until she was unconscious and raped her.
The man covers his face while cameras point at him (Picture: AP)
He then pushed her down the slope and she died. He was arrested shortly after the attack.
Prosecutors also say a laptop and mobile phones were recovered from the suspect’s house containing child sexual abuse material.
‘The defendant has committed an unfathomable crime,’ defence lawyer Philip Mueller said in a statement.
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The defendant confirmed his lawyer’s statement was correct but did not answer any questions.
The defendant is charged with murder, rape with fatal consequences, attempted murder and possession of child pornography. Murder charges carry a maximum sentence of life in prison in Germany.
A verdict will be announced in mid-March.
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