Former caregiver on trial for abuse
A 31-year-old man has been on trial at Oldenburg District Court since Wednesday for the serious sexual abuse of a then 13-year-old girl. The acts of abuse are said to have taken place in 2016, particularly in Braunschweig, where the girl lived at the time.
According to the indictment, the man had met the 13-year-old as a counselor at a youth camp. He then allegedly kept in contact with her and also visited her at home. Unprotected sexual intercourse is said to have taken place several times.
At the request of the defense, the public was excluded from the trial for the duration of the defendant's testimony. The presiding judge justified this by stating that the accused had announced a confession concerning his sex life.
The joint plaintiff had previously rejected a so-called plea bargain between all parties to the trial, which had also been held in camera. According to the presiding judge, the defense had offered a suspended sentence for less serious cases and the payment of a fine.
The court has scheduled four more trial dates until December 1.
The defense argued that the man's past processes of therapy and counseling should be considered, as they believed it could impact his behavior at the time of the abuse. Despite these efforts, the man's actions still resulted in the serious abuse of the 13-year-old girl.
Source: www.dpa.com
