Because of sexual abuse of his three granddaughters a 76-year-old has been sentenced by the district court Stralsund to five years imprisonment. The court said it was proven on Thursday that the grandfather passed away for several years at the today nine, twelve and 14 year old girl. The youngest was six when the attacks began.

"He has made use of a pool of his grandchildren," said the presiding judge Olaf Witt in his verdict on the man's action. He let a grandson take care of him. A younger granddaughter was spared. The man was also sentenced to pay damages: twice 8000, once 6000 euros.

The 76-year-old expressed himself in the process, but denied his defendant, the allegations. Therefore, the girls had to testify in court and tell again what their grandfather did to them. The public was not there.

The prosecutor outlined the statements of the granddaughters on the last day of the trial. The middle-aged girl said in court that she did not know that what Grandfather did was forbidden. Only the youngest got the stone rolling. After the prevention project "My body belongs to me" in the school, she confided in her father. All girls reported that such incidents had occurred regularly.

"Evil always sat at the table"

However, there was no blackout by Grandpa, as the judge said. He was a mixed figure. "The evil was always at the table." The sisters also reported that they actually had a good relationship with their grandparents. The man had perfidiously broken the trust of the children, a lawyer said the co-plaintiff. The girls suffered from nightmares and sleep disorders, needed psychological treatment.

The man was once in court in 1987. "Because of the same offense," said his son, the father of the three victims, after the sentencing. At that time, his father had lost his own daughters. He did not think he would do that again as a grandfather. "What he did to my children and my sisters, they will carry with them all their lives."

But the punishment from GDR times is served, the 76-year-old was now not as a criminal record in court. This and his old age counted the court as punitive. He may not be released alive, Judge Witt said. The verdict is not yet legally binding.