New cases of suspicion, new investigations and new personnel consequences: The scandal around the mass child abuse on a campsite in North Rhine-Westphalia takes on ever larger dimensions. "It looks like it's even worse than I feared," said Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU).
The number of defendants, against which the prosecutor investigate in connection with the abuse in the Lippe Lugde, had risen from six to seven, reported Reul in a special meeting of the Dusseldorf Landtag. It is a 16-year-old who should have possessed child pornography material. Even older suspected cases of sexual offenses at the campsite on the border of North Rhine-Westphalia to Lower Saxony would be re-rolled, said Reul.
The accused should have abused child years ago
One of the most shocking findings is that the now 56-year-old unemployed prime suspect was suspected of abusing an eight-year-old 17 years ago, the minister said. "At the moment, it does not look like a lawsuit has been initiated." The domestic spokesman for the SPD opposition, Hartmut Ganzke, stated that the accused would not have been able to commit the later acts if it had been cleared up.
On Tuesday evening, another decisive consequence for the competent district police was known: On instructions from the NRW Interior Ministry, the police director of the State Office for training, training and personnel matters is transferred, said District Administrator Axel Lehmann (SPD). The post will take over provisionally until May 2019, a civil servant from the State Office of Criminal Investigation. Last week, the district administrator had released another official, the head of the crime department, from his duties.
Since the announcement of Lügde's abuse series on January 30, more and more details became public, pointing to serious errors in the authorities. Last week, moreover, the disappearance of evidence became known: 155 DVDs and CDs can no longer be found. They disappeared, according to prosecutors probably by negligence from rooms of the police Lippe. A theft can not be excluded, but so far seems to indicate nothing.
Special investigator: Heavy crafting mistakes
The special investigator appointed by Reul, Criminal Director Ingo Wünsch, previously sketched an unprecedented chain of failure in the district police department Lippe. "As a result, there were serious technical mistakes that have increased," he said. "Responsible leadership is not recognizable."
As a result, the library to be secured was usually left open. With the sighting of 155 data carriers from the campsite, a police officer was ordered, who wants to have everything sighted in five hours. This is impossible.
Search reports "superficial", documentation bad
Who had commissioned the student, can not be clarified. The police department's search reports were "superficial" and the documentation bad. The Police Headquarters Bielefeld, which has been assigned the case, have seen in a recent crime scene inspection last week, further evidence in the caravan of the main suspect, including 131 CDs.
At least 31 victims have been abused and filmed at the campsite over the years - most of them between 4 and 13 years of age. Three suspects are already in custody. In addition, two other defendants are being investigated for aiding and abetting one person for criminal denial.
16-year-old suspects
According to the Detmold state prosecutor Ralf Vetter, the new suspected case concerns a 16-year-old from the region who had child pornography material that was said to have originated at the campsite. The teenager had been questioned on Monday, but was again at large. Investigators had come upon him by the evaluation of seized data.
Reul also reported another suspicion of abuse. According to a long-term camper last spring, a 15-year-old on the site in Lügde raped. At present it is examined whether this case belongs to the Tatkomplex.
Meanwhile, alone 60 investigators are busy with the processing of over 1000 cases of abuse. In addition, among other things because of criminal foiling in the office and due to violation of the duty of care against 14 accused with authorities are determined. Among them were two police officers and eight youth workers.
New position in the Ministry
In the future, Reul wants to professionalize the fight against child abuse with a new department in his ministry. At the top should be an experienced detective. "The weakest need the strongest protectors, and that must be the police," the minister said.
The Green MP Verena Schäffer accused Reul not to have informed the state early enough about the rape case in Lügde. In addition, she doubted that the minister was indeed recently informed about the extent of the abuse, as he spoke at an early age of authority failure.