GERMANY: Prosecutors arrest 48-year old man for serious sexual abuse of his children

Record ID: 334635

  • Title: GERMANY: Prosecutors arrest 48-year old man for serious sexual abuse of his children
  • Date: 11th February 2011
  • Summary: FLUTERSCHEN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOWN ALTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) MAYOR OF FLUTERSCHEN, RALF LICHTENTHAELER WALKING PAST (SOUNDBITE) (German) MAYOR OF FLUTERSCHEN, RALF LICHTENTHAELER, SAYING: "The family is not from here, but moved here and bought a house and they haven't really integrated themselves into the village community. We have five different village clubs and they are not members of any of them and if ever there was a festival of some kind, they never turned up so nobody noticed anything." FLUTERSCHEN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) STREETS IN TOWN ALTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (German) MAYOR OF FLUTERSCHEN, RALF LICHTENTHAELER, SAYING: "I know now that the youth welfare office supervised the family in the last few years as well as now. The welfare office was involved." KOBLENZ, GERMANY (FEBRUARY 10, 2011) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF KOBLENZ DISTRICT COURT (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESPERSON FOR THE KOBLENZ DISTRICT COURT, ALEXANDER WALTER, SAYING: "The prosecutors office accuses the 48-year old from the region of Altenkirchen of serious sexual offences, in particular the serious sexual abuse of children and sexual trade of minors. The accused is thought to have sexually abused two of his step children as well as his own daughter on numerous occasions between 1987 and 2010. In addition to this, the accused is thought to have passed on his step daughter and his own daughter to men who then sexually assaulted them. Altogether we are bringing 350 charges against him." SIGN FOR COURT (SOUNDBITE) (German) SPOKESPERSON FOR THE KOBLENZ DISTRICT COURT, ALEXANDER WALTER, SAYING: "The accused has been in custody since August 2010. He could receive a prison sentence of up to 15 years if he is found guilty of the crimes." EXTERIOR OF COURT
  • Embargoed: 26th February 2011 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany, Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVA231EL2XRAMO7MOIMIOSJ3NGUZ
  • Story Text: A 48-year-old German will appear in court next week accused of sexually abusing his step-daughter for more than two decades and fathering at least seven children by her, a court spokesman said on Thursday (February 10).
    The man, identified as Detlef S. from the village of Fluterschen in western Germany, is also accused of abusing his own daughter and a step-son, and forcing both daughters into prostitution.
    "Altogether we are bringing 350 charges against him," said spokesperson for Koblenz district court, Alexander Walter.
    The spokesman said DNA tests suggested the man is the father of at least seven children by his step-daughter. Another child, whom he may have fathered, is believed to have died.
    He is believed to have committed the abuse between 1987 and 2010.
    Mayor of the village, Ralf Lichtenthaeler said that no one had noticed anything suspicious about the family.
    "The family is not from here, but moved here and bought a house and they haven't really integrated themselves into the village community. We have five different village clubs and they are not members of any of them and if ever there was a festival of some kind, they never turned up so nobody noticed anything," he said, adding that he was aware that the child welfare service had been involved with the family.
    Detlef S. has been held by police since August and will appear in court in the city of Koblenz on February 15.
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