German television director and screenwriter Dieter Wedel died at the age of 82. The news of the death was announced by the Munich court, which dealt with the case in which Wedel was accused of rape.
Wedel, who was one of the most successful German filmmakers in the 1990s, was accused of rape last year. Today, the court in Munich should announce whether criminal proceedings will be initiated for the accusations that he raped an actress in a Munich hotel in 1996. Instead, the court announced that Wedel died on July 13 in Hamburg. The court proceedings were stopped due to the death.
He was one of the first German stars to be highlighted by the movement I also. Several women have accused him of forcing them to have sex, which Wedel has denied. In March last year, a German actress Jany Temple accused him of raping her in a luxury Munich hotel in 1996. He also denied this accusation. His lawyers complained of prejudice and did not want a formal charge to take place. The process dragged on for a good 14 months, which is why Jany Temple went on hunger strike.
According to the lawyers, the director died after a long illness, while they were critical of the media coverage of the case, AP reports.
Wedel impressed many viewers in Germany with his series and films. In their series such as Der Grossen Bellheim from 1992 or in series Der Schattenmann from 1996 and Der König von St. Pauli from 1997, he liked to weave stories around burly male characters who smoked cigars and threw around money.
Source: Rtvslo