Twelve men who allegedly raped a 15-year-old girl for two and a half hours in a park in Hamburg are all walking around free despite DNA from sperm retrieved on the victim matching nine of the suspects.

The incident took place in Hamburger Stadtpark (Hamburg City Park) in northern Germany in September 2020 when the victim, who has not been named, was partying with friends.

The victim became separated from her friends after getting drunk and was wandering the park alone, according to German daily Bild.

She reportedly came across a group of men aged 17 to 21 who, upon seeing that she was intoxicated, allegedly took advantage of her, dragging her off into some bushes and taking turns to rape her for two and a half hours.

They also reportedly filmed the crime with their mobile phones before robbing the girl of her mobile phone and her wallet.

They then allegedly tried to sell her possessions in the park.

The police have been able to identify 12 suspects, who include twin brothers and two named as James M., 21 and Arsen K., 19. Their homes were searched and DNA samples were taken from them along with their mobile phones.

But none of the suspects are currently in custody.

District Judge Thorsten Schleif, 41, is quoted in the German daily as saying: “Should the public prosecutors bring rape charges, they will have to put up with the responsibility of not having applied for arrest warrants for all twelve.”

Liddy Oechtering, spokeswoman for the Hamburg Public Prosecutor’s Office, told RTL: “At the moment, all 12 suspects are at large.”

She added: “It is now being checked whether and against which suspects charges are being brought and which allegations are being made in detail.”

The case is ongoing.