Berlin trial exposes father's violent campaign against estranged family
A 46-year-old man is on trial at Berlin Regional Court for a series of violent and coercive acts against his estranged wife and their then-17-year-old daughter. The charges include assault, illegal surveillance, kidnapping, and threats of further harm. During the first hearing, the defendant admitted partial responsibility for his actions.
The man, originally from Syria, was unemployed and facing financial instability at the time of the offences. He claimed his wife's suspected infidelity drove him to extreme measures, fearing she would leave him permanently. To monitor her, he hid several phones in her apartment and watched the live footage remotely.
In a separate incident, he physically attacked his wife, slapping her and ransacking her bedroom. He also confiscated her phone and those of their children, cutting off their communication. Later, he abducted their 17-year-old daughter, driving her to a friend's flat in Berlin-Mitte. There, he interrogated and threatened her with a belt, though he later insisted he would never have physically harmed her. Prosecutors allege he then pressured his wife into a meeting by threatening to flee abroad with their second-oldest daughter. The charges now before the court include bodily harm, rape, kidnapping, and severe violations of personal privacy through unauthorised recordings.
The trial follows the defendant's partial admission of guilt at the outset of proceedings. If convicted, he faces penalties for multiple serious offences, including violence, coercion, and illegal surveillance. The case continues under Berlin Regional Court's jurisdiction.
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