A religious leader has gone on trial for allegedly abusing young boys

A trial has begun in Germany for a religious leader accused of abusing boys residing in a community boarding house. A verdict is expected next month.

The case is being heard at the Ellwangen State Court in the Baden-Württemberg state of Germany.

The religious leader, a German citizen of Turkish origin working at a community boarding house in the town of Giengen an der Brenz, has been on trial since April 15th on charges of "aggravated sexual abuse and mistreatment" of children.

According to information provided to DW Turkish by the court, the 35-year-old defendant is also facing charges of "sexual abuse of persons under protection and supervision, rape, sexual harassment and sexual assault" and "simple and aggravated intentional bodily harm."

'Used his authority for abuse'
Local media reported that the man is married and allegedly committed 26 separate acts of aggravated abuse against eight boys aged 12-17 between 2021 and 2024.

The defendant is alleged to have sometimes stayed overnight as a night watchman at the boarding school run by a religious community, which was closed after the incidents came to light. During these times, he allegedly intimidated and threatened the children, then abused them.

The indictment states that the defendant lured the victimized children with promises of watching movies on evenings at the boarding school, forcibly called them to his office, or woke them up in the middle of the night and took them to his office.

The prosecution alleges that the defendant presented himself as a religious authority, creating a systematic climate of violence and fear among the children, and using both this climate and his authority to silence them.

The accusations are not limited to sexual abuse. The indictment also describes the defendant beating the children, strangling them, and suffocating them.

A victimized child recounted what happened to him.
The incident came to light when a victimized child told a boarding school administrator what had happened to him and a mother found suspicious WhatsApp messages on her son's phone.

The student boarding school was closed in January 2025 following police intervention.

The detained defendant pleaded guilty to most of the charges on Thursday, April 16, during the second hearing of the case. The court also decided to hear testimony from some of the victimized children and young people.

Which religious community's dormitory?
According to the public broadcaster South-West Radio and Television Corporation (SWR), the dormitory where the defendant worked is affiliated with the Giengen Education and Integration Association. This association, in turn, is affiliated with the religious community known in Turkey as the "Süleymancılar," which operates in Germany under the name of the Union of Islamic Cultural Centers (VIKZ).

A religious leader has gone on trial for allegedly abusing young boys

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