Breaking: German composer is cleared of rape

The distinguished composer Hans-Jürgen von Bose has been acquitted by the Munich district court of raping the sister of one of his students 14 years ago. The court found that sexual intercourse had taken place between him and the woman, some 30 years his junior, but was not illegal as the law stood at the time.

Von Bose, 67, was convicted on a minor chage of drug possession and given a six-month suspended sentence. He had been held in jail on remand for a long period before the trial.

The President of the Munich Musikhochschule, Bernd Redmann, pledged to reinforce student safety at the academy.

His predecessor, Siegfried Mauser, was sent to jail for sexual offences but has yet to spend a single night behind bars.