Higher Regional Court Hannover - A 32-year-old on trial for child abuse
A 32-year-old former babysitter is on trial at the Hannover District Court for serious sexual abuse of children. The alleged abuse is said to have occurred in Hannover between 2017 and 2023, with a total of 30 offenses mentioned in the indictment.
The man is said to have a "pedosexual inclination towards girls in the toddler age," as the prosecutor stated at the trial's opening. The victims were eight Children aged between ten months and seven years, including his own niece.
The public was excluded from the trial at the defendant's request during the defendant's statement. This was justified because it concerned intimate details from the life of the single German man. The defendant's attorney spoke in court, stating that they were prepared to make statements.
According to the indictment, the 32-year-old offered his services as a babysitter. He reportedly did this to establish contact with as many children as possible, the prosecutor said in the indictment. The defendant is also said to have made recordings of the abuse for use on explicit forums.
Additionally, he is said to have possessed pornographic images and videos in large quantities - around 122,000 images and approximately 17,000 videos. These were obtained via Messenger services and from the Darknet.
The prosecutor spoke about the defendant's tendency towards serious crimes and requested his detention in protective custody. In this trial, there are four continuation dates planned. A judgment could potentially fall on August 8 according to the schedule.
- The criminal proceedings against the suspect are taking place in Lower Saxony, specifically at the Hannover Regional Court.
- The defense attorney argued for the exclusion of the public during the defendant's statement due to the sensitive nature of the misuse of his position as a babysitter in Hannover.
- The 32-year-old's actions have raised concerns about the rising rate of criminality involving children in Germany.
- The Hannover Regional Court is expected to deliver its verdict on the case by August 8, as part of the four scheduled continuation dates in the process.
