"German Fritzl" admits raping his children

Mar 21, 2011, 14:18 GMT

Koblenz, Germany - A German man admitted in court on Monday to around 160 counts of sexually abusing and raping three of his children in an incest case which has shocked Germany.

Detlef S, 48, who earlier acknowledged that he had fathered seven children by his stepdaughter, is also accused of having forced his daughters to have sex with men in exchange for money.

The accused, dubbed the 'German Fritzl' by the media, had so far only admitted to abusing his daughter, who is now aged 18, as well as fathering the children of his stepdaughter, who is now 27.

But on the next-to-last day of the trial, he admitted to abusing his stepson as well.

Tears flowing down his cheeks and his voice quaking, he offered amends. 'I want to apologize to the victims. I am really sorry,' he said.

His full surname has not been printed by the majority of German media because of privacy and libel laws. Media have compared him to Austrian Josef Fritzl, who had held his daughter Elisabeth captive for 24 years in a basement until her release in April 2008.

The children of S were not confined in their home in the village of Fluterschen, but have told the court they were too terrified of their father to dare tell authorities about the abuse.

The court has ruled the man is legally responsible for his deeds, after a psychologist examined him.

The lawyer for Detlef S, Thomas Dueber, called for a jail term of no more than nine-and-a-half years for his client.

Dueber said his client decided on a full admission after realizing how other people perceived him. His self-image had been shaken by his daughters' testimony, reading media accounts and receiving threats from fellow inmates in the remand jail where he is kept.

Prosecutors, who last week sought a prison term of 14 years, 6 months to be followed by long-term detention on public-safety grounds, said they were sticking to that recommendation despite the admission.

A verdict is expected Tuesday.

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