Jan 7, 2026, 10:24 amJan 7, 2026, 10:24 am
A criminal trial has begun in the city of Siegen against a mother who is said to have hidden her daughter in a house in Germany for almost her entire life.
The child was freed from the house by the police in 2022. (symbol image)Image: KEYSTONE
The 49-year-old is accused of abducting minors, deprivation of liberty, mistreating those under her protection, bodily harm and violating duties of care and upbringing. She is said to have locked the girl in her grandparents’ house for around seven years since she was a small child and completely isolated her from the outside world. The case from Sauerland in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia caused horror across Germany.
The child was freed by the police from his grandparents’ single-family home in Attendorn in 2022 at the age of eight. The girl’s grandmother (80) also took a seat in the dock of the regional court – she is said to have supported her daughter and is charged with aiding and abetting. The girl’s grandfather is also charged, but was not present on Wednesday. The 83-year-old had only been released from a clinic the day before, said his legal representative.
According to the indictment, the child had been denied a normal life with daycare, school and any contact with other people since 2015. It is said to have suffered significant developmental delays in isolation and is now twelve years old. (sda/dpa)