Process - Child in care abused - prison sentence for educator
The Bonn Regional Court sentenced a 33-year-old childcare worker to two and a half years in prison today for sexual abuse of a ward in 19 cases. The defendant had regularly engaged in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old child from a Bonn youth welfare home she took care of, in the years 2020 and 2021.
In the trial, the Bonn childcare worker, who had worked in the youth welfare institution for nine years, had confessed to the charges. She denied that the boy - as originally charged - was only 13 years old at the time of the first consensual sex; they had always understood each other very well. During a walk, the boy - as also determined by the judgment of the Youth Protection Chamber - had taken the initiative and kissed his caregiver. The 33-year-old did not resist and allowed the sexual relationship to continue.
The case came to light after the childcare worker developed another relationship with an 18-year-old former ward and the jealous 14-year-old went to the home leadership with the story. However, they did not believe him at first. It was only when the boy eventually confided in a teacher that the case was reported to the Youth Welfare Office.
The prosecutor had demanded a two-year probation sentence; the defense also pleaded for a probation sentence. However, probation was not an option for the Bonn judges. A child who is frequently severely traumatized needs special protection. "It is not free game," so the presiding judge in the judgment. Alone for preventive reasons, such a "serious case must have consequences."
- Following her conviction, the childcare worker from Bonn will serve a prison sentence of two and a half years for engaging in sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old ward she was responsible for in North Rhine-Westphalia during 2020 and 2021.
- The regional court in Bonn found the educator guilty of prostitution-related crimes, illustrating the breakdown of professional boundaries and the exploitation of her position of trust.
- The 14-year-old boy's revelation to his teacher about the inappropriate relationship with his former childcare worker ultimately led to the case being reported to the Youth Welfare Office in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- Despite pleas for a probation sentence, the regional court in Bonn handed down a stern prison sentence to the childcare worker to ensure the protection and rehabilitation of the traumatized boy, emphasizing that such heinous crimes have severe consequences.
