Parents charged with child abuse: 13 and 11 years' imprisonment demanded
A married couple from Baden-Württemberg are accused of abusing their own daughter over a period of months and placing her with an acquaintance. The prosecution is demanding custodial sentences of up to 13 years.
Abuse by parents: trial in Ellwangen
According to sueddeutsche.de, a married couple from Rot am See have been charged before the Ellwangen Regional Court with the serious sexual abuse of their daughter. The 45-year-old father is alleged to have committed repeated abuse over a period of months; the prosecution is demanding 13 years' imprisonment. The 41-year-old mother is being sought with a sentence of eleven years and three months' imprisonment.
The couple is said to have not only abused the then 11-year-old girl, but also forced her to engage in sexual acts with a third man, aged 54. According to the charges, the parents threatened the child with electric shocks if she refused. The acquaintance is currently at large; an international manhunt is underway for him.
The case came to light when the daughter confided in a teacher. The youth welfare office took over the care of the child in February. The mother was arrested in the courtroom this week; the father has been in pre-trial detention since February. The defence lawyers requested acquittal. Much of the proceedings took place with the public excluded; closing arguments were also held behind closed doors. The verdict was expected in the late afternoon.
Source: Die Zeit Kriminalität