Shock use against child abuse: 79 suspects arrested in Hesse!

Shock use against child abuse: 79 suspects arrested in Hesse!

In a comprehensive use to combat sexual violence against children and adolescents in Hesse, the law enforcement agencies between 13 and 17 January 2025 have become active. The commitment, coordinated by the Hessian State Criminal Police Office (HLKA) on behalf of the Hessian public prosecutors, brought remarkable results. A total of 85 apartments and houses were searched, and there were 14 interrogations.

The authorities secured 2,084 crime -specific items, including hundreds of storage media. The measures also resulted in the enforcement of an arrest warrant and 79 accused were identified, of whom 78 men and a woman are. The age of the accused ranges from 14 to 78 years. They are blamed for serious allegations, including manufacture, possession and distribution of representations of abuse as well as in 12 cases the sexual abuse of less than 18 year olds and in 3 cases allegations of rape or sexual assault.

investigative details and legal backgrounds

The searches took place in several cities, including Darmstadt, Frankfurt am Main, Gießen, Kassel, Offenbach am Main and Wiesbaden, as well as in the districts of Main-Kinzig, Hochtaunus and Fulda. According to the current state of the investigation, the accused are not in contact with each other. In this context, the police also informed about the limitation periods for sexual child abuse, which are between 5 and 20 years, depending on the severity of the deed. These deadlines begin as soon as the victim becomes of legal age.

In order to give affected victims the opportunity to report acts, the police appealed to them to report. The impression of being alone with an explicit picture can be stressful, and the children concerned should therefore contact trustworthy adults such as parents or school advisors.

The role of support organizations

The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) indicates that families of exploited children often have the feeling of being alone and overwhelmed. The NCMEC offers support and crisis intervention as well as references to local advice centers. The team Hope, a volunteer program that helps families who have experienced similar crises are particularly important.

These current developments are part of a larger trend that is also visible as part of the police crime statistics (PKS) 2020. According to the statistics, there was an increase in cases of sexual violence against children and adolescents in 2020. This includes 4,918 cases of ill-treatment and an increase in child pornography consumption by 53 % to 18,761 cases.

The problems related to sexual violence against children are not new, and requirements to improve investigative resources in the police and judiciary are still up to date. The grievances shown illustrate the urgency for effective strategies to combat these crimes, both online and offline.