Teenager Trial Deferred

Judges on Friday decided to postpone the trial until Aug. 8 and ruled that Marco W., a 17-year-old high school student from the northern German state of Lower Saxony, will have to remain in prison at least until that time.

W. has denied allegations that he sexually molested a 13-year-old girl from Britain in April. The case has made headlines in Germany, where leading politicians, including Chancellor Angela Merkel, have said the young man should be returned to Germany.

German media had reported that the youth had been held in a cell with 30 other suspected criminals after the mother of the girl reported him to the police.

Turkish protests

Turkish officials meanwhile criticized German demands to release the youth, saying that the case was going through the country's judicial system and that the law on molestation of minors had already been adjusted to EU standards. Marco W. is accused of "sexual exploitation to the detriment of a minor."

The British girl has accused Marco W. of molesting her after a night out dancing while vacationing in a popular Turkish resort on the Antalyan coast..

In an interview with Turkish daily Hurriyet, the German boy said he did not have sexual intercourse with the British girl, though they kissed and engaged in "heavy petting."

The German youth, who was working as a youth group leader for the volunteer-based German state disaster relief agency THW, has claimed that the girl had told him she was 15 years old.

German takeover?

The public has been shut of from the trial to protect the teenagers involved.

The court could hand down a probation for Marco W. or sentence him to time in prison. It's also possible that judges will hand over the case to colleagues in Germany where prosecutors have already said they would take over.