Vienna, (EFE).- Austrian Prosecutors announced Tuesday in Vienna they have closed a rape case filed against American rapper and music producer Sean “Diddy” Combs, citing the statute of limitations under Austrian law.
The case was brought in February by Austrian journalist Kathi Steininger, who accused Combs of drugging and raping her during a tour stop in Vienna 25 years ago. Steininger went public with her allegations on Austrian broadcaster Puls4 on Monday night.
According to Steininger, she had attended a concert and was invited to an afterparty to interview Combs.
She said the artist’s security team separated her from her cameraman and led her onto a tour bus, allegedly under the pretext that the nightclub was too loud for an interview.
Once inside, Steininger claimed that Combs offered her drinks on two occasions. “Shortly afterward, I started feeling dizzy,” she said. “That’s when he raped me.”
The Vienna public prosecutor’s office concluded that, under Austrian legislation, the alleged crime had sured the legal time limit for prosecution and the case had to be closed.
However, Austrian news agency APA cited prosecutorial sources suggesting that the statute of limitations could be reassessed if Combs is convicted in other sexual abuse cases.
Steininger said she initially tried to a class-action lawsuit in the United States after multiple accusations against Combs surfaced.
“I reached out to lawyers in the US, but they told me my case couldn’t be included because the incident happened in Europe,” she said.
Combs is currently facing a wide range of legal challenges in the US.
On May 5, a federal trial began in New York, where the rapper has been charged with sex trafficking, racketeering, and interstate transportation for prostitution purposes.
More than 120 people, women, men, and minors, have filed sexual abuse complaints against Combs.
He has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty.
The 54-year-old mogul, known for shaping the careers of numerous hip-hop and R&B artists through his label Bad Boy Records, remains in pretrial detention at a federal prison in Brooklyn.
Bail has been denied due to the severity of the charges and the risk of flight.
If convicted on all counts in the US, Combs could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Ongoing fallout
The allegations against Combs have shaken the entertainment industry and triggered significant commercial fallout.
Major brand partners have suspended collaborations, streaming platforms have reduced promotion of his music, and media outlets have begun reevaluating past coverage of his career.
Combs’ legal team has called the growing number of accusations “a coordinated smear campaign,” insisting that their client will be exonerated in court.
Despite the closure of the Austrian case, Steininger said she felt compelled to speak out publicly to other victims.
“I couldn’t stay silent any longer. I wanted to show that this has been happening around the world for decades,” she told Puls4.
While Austria will no longer pursue the case, legal experts suggest that European testimonies may still play a ing role in ongoing US investigations, especially if prosecutors attempt to establish a long-term pattern of abuse.
“P. Diddy” has not commented on the Vienna case, and his legal team has yet to state the dismissal. EFE
oc-as/seo/mcd
