‘German child rape case defendant should never be released’
THE lead defendant in a long-running child rape and pornography case in the western German city of Muenster should never be released, a judge said on Tuesday as the court handed down a 14-year sentence.
The court ordered that Adrian V, a 2 -year-old IT technician, be held in preventive detention following completion of his sentence after finding him guilty of 29 offences.
Three male co-accused, aged 31, 26 and 43, received sentences ranging from 10 years to 12 years. They will also be held in preventive detention after serving their sentences.
The court sentenced the lead defendant’s mother, 46,
to five years for her role as an accessory.
The trial centred on crimes that took place in a garden summer house over a number of days in March 2020. Two boys, including the foster son of the main defendant, who is now 11, were raped repeatedly. The victims were sedated at times.
The accused showed little reaction as the sentences were read out.
Presiding Judge Matthias Pheiler said the crimes “went beyond everything that this court has seen to date.” The court also found that he sought out other paedophiles on the internet and arranged with them to jointly abuse the children. “In principle, you should never be allowed out again,” another judge told the main defendant, who was seen grinning repeatedly through the trial.
The case is one of three major abuse cases in the German state of North Rhine Westphalia to come to light in recent years.
After being uncovered in June 2020 following investigations centring on the summer house, it led to arrests in other states and abroad.
Five men have already been handed prison sentences, and more than 50 suspects identified, of whom around 30 are in custody.