Trial of German paediatrician begins after years of investigation
The doctor is accused of criminal offences against more than seventy children at two clinics.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
The trial of a German paediatrician accused of sexually abusing more than seventy children began in Potsdam on Monday. According to news agency AFP, the case involves more than 130 criminal offences between 2013 and 2025 inclusive.
The main hearing began at the Potsdam Regional Court. The court had previously announced the start of the trial and said the defendant was being prosecuted for offences against the sexual self-determination of protected persons.
According to AFP, the paediatrician worked at clinics in the East German towns of Nauen and Rathenow. The allegations span more than ten years, the news agency reported. It is not known how the defendant is responding to the allegations.
AFP writes that the doctor was arrested about a year ago after the mother of a child reported her suspicions to the authorities. Further proceedings will determine which allegations stand up legally. The doctor remains a suspect as long as there has been no court ruling.
Different figures have been given for the defendant's age. AFP says 46, while the court's announcement gives 45. That age is therefore not presented here as an established fact.
The case also has implications for oversight within healthcare. The available sources do not yet provide a complete picture of signals previously reported to institutions, how checks were carried out or any administrative measures that may have been taken. Those questions may arise during the trial, but have not been confirmed at this point.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The court confirmed the start of the trial and AFP confirmed the scale of the allegations. The differing ages given by the sources are explicitly noted and have not been treated as a resolved fact.
- confirmed The trial began in Potsdam on 2 November 2026. — The court officially announced this date. source
- confirmed The defendant is linked to more than seventy children and more than 130 criminal offences. — AFP reported these figures. source
- confirmed The allegations concern the period 2013–2025 and clinics in Nauen and Rathenow. — These details appear in the AFP report. source
- confirmed The defendant's age is not clear-cut. — AFP says 46; the court says 45. source
Editor's note
The start of the trial has been officially confirmed. The number of children and criminal offences comes from AFP; the age differs between AFP and the court and has therefore not been used as an established fact.Sources
- Doctor in Germany on trial over sex abuse of over 70 children — AFP via NAMPA
- Presseerklärung zum Strafverfahren gegen Steffen P. — Landgericht Potsdam
More on this in Dutch media
- AD — „duitsland potsdam”
- de Volkskrant — „duitsland potsdam”
- RTL Nieuws — „duitsland potsdam”