Brazil: German diplomat charged for husband's death

Brazilian state prosecutors pressed charges against a German diplomat on Monday accused of the murder of his Belgian husband. They are also investigating reports that he has left the country after being released from police custody. Uwe Herbert Hahn worked at the German consulate in Rio de Janeiro andwas indicted by the city prosecutors' office with aggravated murder, following the death of his husband, Walter Biot, earlier this month.

A state court released Hahn from a preemptive arrest on Friday claiming that prosecutors missed the initial deadline to present charges. He had been under arrest since August 7.

Brazilian news portal G1 reported that Hahn took a flight out of Brazil and arrived in Frankfurt, Germany, early on Monday. However, the prosecutors' office said it was still investigating whether the consul had left the country.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

Prosecutors, in a document, have said "the crime was committed with cruel means-severe beating causing intense and unnecessary suffering". They further said that the victim was unable to react due to the ingestion of alcohol and anxiety medication.

The prosecutors said the accused "nurtured an abject feeling of possession for the victim, subjugating him financially and psychologically, and not admitting that the victim tried to establish some level of independence from the accused, either economically or by establishing friendly relations with other people."

After Biot's death, Hahn said he had fallen from their apartment in the Ipanema neighborhood after suffering a sudden illness.

(With inputs from agencies)