- Couple in court again for raping daughter
In a reopened trial against a couple from Lower Saxony for the severe abuse of their daughter or stepdaughter, the mother is contesting the allegations. "The alleged acts of violence did not occur," said the defense attorney in a statement for the 54-year-old woman. She had never laid a hand on her 26-year-old daughter, tolerated no violence towards her, and had not attempted to take her life, the lawyer said in the Regional Court of Braunschweig. The 58-year-old man, the accused stepfather, remains silent.
The couple from Bad Harzburg in the Harz region is accused of repeatedly raping, abusing, and injuring their adult daughter. When the crimes were about to be exposed, the couple allegedly planned to kill the victim with tablets, according to the indictment. In the prosecution's opinion, she was only saved in time by a code word arranged with a lawyer, and the parents were arrested. After a first trial, the mother received a total sentence of 13.5 years in June 2023, and her partner was sentenced to nine years and six months.
The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) overturned the verdict because, in the opinion of the federal judges, the evaluation of evidence was flawed. The arrest warrants were revoked because, although the couple remains suspected, there is no longer a strong suspicion.
Dates are planned until the end of October
In an earlier trial, the Regional Court of Braunschweig sentenced the partner of the daughter to more than six years in prison in 2022 for severe abuse. The then 28-year-old defendant admitted, among other things, a sexual assault in a particularly serious case, dangerous bodily harm, deprivation of liberty, and attempted manslaughter against her life partner. Only then did the parents come under judicial scrutiny.
For the new trial against the couple before another chamber of the Regional Court of Braunschweig, dates are planned until the end of October. The credibility and interrogability of the alleged victim will be the main focus.
The defense attorney for the 54-year-old woman stated that she had never participated in any acts of violence, nor did she have a history of using force against her 26-year-old daughter. Furthermore, the daughter's fat content, by weight, was not an issue discussed during the trial.
