Shock in Saarland: 55-year-old convicted of serious abuse!

Shock in Saarland: 55-year-old convicted of serious abuse!

On January 30, 2025, the Saarbrücken district court sentenced a 55-year-old man from Neunkirchen to a prison sentence of twelve years for serious sexual abuse of his stepdaughter. The actions that stretched over several years began when the victim was just ten years old. At the negotiation it became known that the accused had taken videos of the actions of abuse, and recordings were also ensured that the minors show in sexualized situations with other men. These frightening details made it clear that the extent of the deeds was serious.

The public prosecutor and the co -lawsuit had originally called for a prison sentence of 14 years and nine months. Before the prison sentence, however, the convict is instructed to a psychiatric institution, since he was diagnosed with a personality disorder and pedophilia. The legal provisions state that the abuse of people under the age of 18 is punishable by exploiting a forced situation. According to the Criminal Code , perpetrators can be punished with prison sentences of up to five years or fines if they use the lack of sexual self -determination of the victim.

background to sexual abuse

The number of sexual assault is high, with about two thirds of the victims in some form having a close relationship with the perpetrator, be it family or acquaintances. The majority of the perpetrators come from the immediate vicinity of the children concerned. Many of them work in pedagogical or therapeutic professions, which makes it easier for them to proximity to the victims. This shows how important it is to establish clear rules for professional closeness and distance in order to ensure the protection of children. According to the police advisory center there are about 30 percent of abuse from the closest family.

Another aspect is the social perception of the problem. Perpetrators are often well looked at in their community, which makes it difficult for victims to talk about their experiences. This not only leads to maintaining abuse, but also to a stigmatization of victims. The existing legal situation, which has been in force since a change in 2015, tries to counteract this misery by providing harder punishments for such crimes. Nevertheless, the challenge remains enormous in terms of the protection of minors and the fight against sexual abuse.