ruth901
After two appeals in a sexual abuse trial, the perpetrator has now been sentenced for the third time – to a prison sentence of five years and four months.
Fulda – A man had already been convicted twice by the Fulda regional court for numerous sexual crimes against girls who were underage at the time. He successfully appealed against the verdicts twice. When announcing the third guilty verdict, the presiding judge found clear words.
The defendant had already been sentenced to five and a half years in prison by the Fulda regional court in November 2023. The court found it proven that the man had committed three series of crimes against six victims over a period of 17 years, all of whom came from his close family environment.
Sex offender sentenced for the third time in Fulda
As the presiding judge now explained in relation to the verdict at the time, the defendant had sexually assaulted his then partner's three daughters between 2003 and 2005 and 2008. None of them had reached the age of 14 at the time of the crime. Among other things, the man grabbed the girls' pubic areas and took pornographic photos of them.
From around 2011, the defendant's son was with a woman who in turn brought a child into the relationship. The relationship resulted in two more children, a son and a daughter. In 2021 and 2022, the defendant committed further acts against his granddaughter and his step-granddaughter: he again took pornographic photos of his victims and touched one of the girls between the legs. He also took pornographic photos of another daughter of his son from another relationship while she was bathing.
The defendant appealed against the verdict. What was criticized was not the findings regarding the crime itself, but rather any legal errors. The appeal was successful, so the case was heard again at the regional court. A criminal division of the Fulda regional court sentenced him again in March 2025 to five and a half years in prison. The defendant appealed again, again it was about legal errors, and again his request was granted, which is why the case came to court for the third time. Overall, the defendant was in custody from November 2022 until shortly before the new hearing.
We are now entering the third round of this process, and each round is a little more bitter.
“We are now entering the third round of this procedure, and each round is a little more bitter,” the prosecutor began her plea. She pointed out that the defendant, in his “excessive sexual greed,” had made his victims “the objects of his sexual desires.” Due to the clear evidence in almost all cases, the defendant made “a confession with his back against the wall.” The man shows little empathy for his five victims, while at the same time he has a lot of self-pity for himself. The prosecutor found that the sentence of five and a half years was appropriate and emphasized: “For reasons of conscience, it is not possible for me to demand even one month less.”
The three representatives of the co-plaintiff came to the same conclusion. Lawyer Christian Celsen, who represented one of the victims, accused the defendant of a “wild ride through sexual criminal law”. The numerous acts over such a long period of time would have left the victims with serious permanent damage. To date he has not made any effort to apologize. Co-plaintiff Knut Hillebrand was “more than horrified” by the defendant’s actions. According to Hillebrand, he has “at best rudimentary” remorse. “At the same time, he melts into self-pity.” The man can “consider himself lucky to have gotten away with such a light sentence.” Any sentence of less than five and a half years is “a slap in the face to the victims and their families”. Lawyer Daniela Egler, who represented three of the victims, said: “Even with a professional distance, all of this is difficult to bear.” Egler said about her clients' mental state: “They can't do it anymore.”
Defense attorney Karras accused the other side of inflaming the negotiation emotionally and making an “emotional departure from the law.” He demanded: “We have to put emotions aside.” His client had indeed committed “significant crimes”. “I don’t believe the psychological consequences that have been put forward, no matter how often you bring it up,” said Karras, addressing the prosecution. Rather, these consequences would arise from conflicts within the family. His client had to wait longer for a verdict due to judicial errors. There is no risk that the man will commit further crimes, and given the long time in custody, he would soon be released anyway. Karras called for the sentence to be reduced to three years and seven months.
This prompted Hillebrandt to speak out again: The insinuation that the psychological consequences were a result of a situation within the family was “infamous”.
The judge finds clear words
In his last word, the defendant read out a statement in which he expressed “deep and sincere remorse.” “I am very ashamed and regret my actions from the bottom of my heart,” he read. However, he then freely stated that the psychological damage suffered by the victims could not be “passed on” to him alone. The man claimed that one of the witnesses was also involved in contradictions and, to illustrate this, gave a vulgarly exaggerated description of the sexual assault on one of the girls.
The presiding judge did not leave this remark uncommented in her reasons for the judgment. Not only was it “mistaken” for the defendant to try to cast doubt on the witness after the course of the crime had already been established in court. The defendant's description “left the entire chamber breathless,” said the judge.
Taking into account the legal errors that needed to be corrected and compensation for the long duration of the proceedings, the chamber ultimately sentenced the defendant to a prison sentence of five years and four months, with one month already considered to have been served.
A 37-year-old from Steinau was recently sentenced to four years and ten months in prison. The court found six cases of abuse against his own daughter to be proven.
