A 90-year-old woman was dragged into a courtyard and violently raped by a teenager after he asked for money in a church, a court has heard.

The attacker then stole the key to her home and wrote down her address.

A Spanish-Moroccan migrant, aged 19, is accused of rape, bodily harm and theft following the attack on October 2 in Dusseldorf.

Prosecutors claim he confronted her in St Lambertus Church and shouted 'money, money!' at her.

A CCTV image was released after the attack on a 90-year-old woman in October last year

When the elderly woman said she did not have any money to give him, he dragged her outside and carried out the horrific attack before strangling her and pulling her hair.

He also stole the key to her home, but there is no evidence that he later broke in.

Police say they traced the man through DNA evidence, as a sample was on record following a robbery in May last year, RP reports.

He could face 15 years behind bars if convicted.

The woman needed hospital treatment following the horror attack.