Trial of paediatrician: 130 cases of child sexual abuse in Rathenow
A paediatrician from Havelland must face court over 130 cases of child sexual abuse involving over 70 patients. The allegations span more than a decade.
Trial of paediatrician: 130 cases of child sexual abuse in Rathenow
A 45-year-old paediatrician stands accused of committing 130 cases of child sexual abuse between December 2013 and November 2025. According to tagesspiegel.de, the charges involve more than 70 victims. The trial begins on Monday before the Potsdam Regional Court.
The alleged victims are between 2 and 20 years old. According to the prosecution, some of the offences allegedly took place whilst the doctor was on duty at the clinic in Rathenow. A mother filed a complaint in November of last year after her child was allegedly abused. Following this, investigators began evaluating seized data storage devices, which revealed the scale of the case.
The doctor is in pre-trial detention due to a perceived risk of reoffending. His defence lawyer, Ursus Koerner von Gustorf, announced a statement for the opening of the trial. At the start, the prosecution will read out the charges, which is expected to take several hours. Given protection concerns for the minor victims involved, it is expected that at least parts of the proceedings will be closed to the public.
Ulrike Hoffmann from the Independent Commission of the Federal Government for Processing Sexual Child Abuse said that the high number of victims showed that it "apparently took a very long time before the perpetrator was caught". In the medical sector, patients were particularly vulnerable because they sought help there, but a relationship of dependency existed. "We know of specific perpetrator strategies, for example the exploitation of medical confidentiality or the use of anaesthetic drugs," Hoffmann explained.
Havelland Kliniken GmbH, where the paediatrician worked, described the opening of the trial as "an important step towards comprehensive and lawful clarification". Following the revelation of the allegations, the clinic group revised its child protection mechanisms. Going forward, the four-eyes principle will apply to examinations in sensitive situations. An independent child protection officer has been appointed.
Parents of affected children and young people are likely to experience considerable emotional strain. Elton Knöfel, who runs the youth club Saftladen in Falkensee, reports fundamental feelings of insecurity: "Am I still allowed to hug my child or cuddle with them during a film night?" He is offering support for a self-help group and is calling for more psychological services for those affected.
Source: Die Zeit Kriminalität