Parents convicted of abusing their daughter – judge apologizes to the girl

A couple from Baden-Württemberg is expected to be imprisoned for many years for abusing and raping their own daughter. The Ellwangen regional court sentenced the 45-year-old father of the girl, who was eleven or twelve years old at the time of the crime, to a prison sentence of eleven and a half years on Wednesday, as a court spokesman announced on Thursday. The 41-year-old mother will be behind bars for nine and a half years. Both must also pay “appropriate compensation” to their daughter.

The court saw it as proven that the two repeatedly abused and raped their daughter in Rot am See for at least a year or forced her to engage in sexual acts with a 54-year-old “family friend”. In February 2026, the child was taken into care by the youth welfare office. The girl is now 13 years old.

The mother was initially at large during the trial, which began on October 21st. An arrest warrant was issued against her on Monday because of strong suspicion and risk of absconding. She was arrested in the courtroom.

The 54-year-old “family friend” is on the run and, according to the court, is wanted under a European arrest warrant. He was initially in custody. Because the court did not recognize any urgent suspicion of a crime, it lifted the arrest warrant against him in July 2026. At the end of the trial, the presiding judge expressly apologized to the injured party for this, according to a court spokesman.