District Court - File hidden - Ex-public servant in court
Over eight months, a clerk at the Düsseldorf Prosecutor's Office is alleged to have hidden over 100 case files and extended their return deadlines arbitrarily. The 46-year-old woman must answer for this today at the Amtsgericht in Düsseldorf. The woman, who was employed as a clerk in a section of the Düsseldorf Prosecutor's Office that mainly handles juvenile offenses and sexual offenses from November 2022 to July 2023, is accused of extending the return deadlines of the case files in her department "out of overload" to "be able to deal with them later or not at all."
Frustration-free Dismissal
Furthermore, the woman is also said to have hidden files in the rooms of the office. According to court statements, this led to the case files being presented to the prosecutors too late or not at all in 112 cases. As a result, a proceeding regarding possession of child pornographic literature was significantly delayed, and in one case of child pornography, the prosecution was completely thwarted due to the statute of limitations.
Fracas-less Dismissal
Upon discovery of these incidents, the woman was dismissed from the Staatsanwaltschaft Düsseldorf without notice, a spokeswoman for the office confirmed. In the event of a conviction, the former justice official faces the possibility of a prison sentence in the worst-case scenario. Since the case is being heard at the Amtsgericht, a maximum sentence of four years is possible.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in Düsseldorf, where the alleged incident occurred, is located in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The court process for the 46-year-old woman, a former clerk, is taking place at the District Court in Düsseldorf.
- During the service staff meeting, the head of the department mentioned the need for proper page changes to avoid confusion in the process of court cases.
- The Criminality Division of the Public Prosecutor's Office Düsseldorf is responsible for handling serious offenses, including sex-related crimes and juvenile crimes.
- The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Düsseldorf District Court will review the case file concerning Ms. and make a decision based on Justice and truth.
