Home » World » Huge child abuse case in Germany, 30,000 suspects in the picture

Huge child abuse case in Germany, 30,000 suspects in the picture

The authorities in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia have identified more than 30,000 new suspects who are said to be part of a large-scale pedophile network. The investigation is about the distribution and possession of child pornography, but also about serious child abuse.

The network is said to be international and focuses mainly on child victims in German-speaking countries. Some suspects are said to have abused their own children and exchanged their images online with others. The suspects also spoke about the abuse on internet forums and via messaging services. For example, they would have given each other tips on how to administer tranquilizers to children.

Peter Biesenbach, Minister of Justice in North Rhine-Westphalia, bordering the Netherlands, speaks of a “swamp” and confessed that it had made him “sick”. “I have underestimated the extent of child abuse online. This is a new dimension of this crime.”

Members in the network urged each other to abuse victims. “Those who hesitated were encouraged by others to put their intentions into practice,” said Biesenbach. In the chats, agreements were also made to abuse one child with several perpetrators.

Prime suspect

The case first came to light in October 2019. A search was then carried out on a prime suspect in Bergisch Gladbach, near Cologne. Since then, researchers have been analyzing huge amounts of online data. The investigation extends to all sixteen German federal states. According to authorities, 72 suspects have now been identified, ten of whom are in custody.

So far, 44 children have also been identified and removed from suspects. Among them was a three-month-old baby.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.