After a bizarre neighborhood dispute, a 70-year-old man and his wife of the same age have been sentenced to three years' imprisonment by the Frankfurt district court: for years they had faked crimes that discredited their neighbors.

As the spokeswoman for the Frankfurt public prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday, it was an "extremely complex procedure" that lasted for a year.

Numerous witnesses would have had to be heard, some several times, in order to finally be able to get an idea of ​​the couple Hannelore and Dieter L..

Catherine Iskandar

Responsible editor for the "Rhein-Main" department of the Sunday newspaper.

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The Frankfurt couple are accused of faking a crime and false suspicion.

The triggers were initially harmless quarrels in the neighborhood, which, however, assumed ever greater proportions.

In April 2016, there were first indications that the couple were stalking their neighbors and fabricating evidence.

At that time, the police had searched the couple's apartment.

The two then decided to file criminal charges themselves to refute the suspicion against them.

Further reports followed - some against people from the neighborhood, some against unknown persons for a wide variety of crimes, "whereby they were aware", as the spokeswoman said, "that all reported events were staged by them".

The climax of the argument finally came when Hannelore L. reported assault.

As it turned out, none of her neighbors had caused her the bruises, scratches and a broken nose, but she had apparently injured herself.

The couple was taken into custody in the courtroom.