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Day care center (symbolic image)

Photo: Monika Skolimowska/ dpa

An abuse trial against an educator from a controversial Awo daycare center in Hanover has been provisionally discontinued. The 28-year-old was employed in the daycare center of the Workers' Welfare Association (Awo), which had made headlines at the weekend because the director wanted to open a "body exploration room" there. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the Awo. The plan for the room was a solo effort and had not been agreed with the carrier, the spokesman emphasized.

"Nudity and body explorations" should be able to take place in the room – with a sofa, floor mats and an upholstered play cave. "No child hurts another," was one of the ten rules of conduct that were communicated to parents in mid-May. The state youth welfare office has now stopped the project because, in the opinion of the authority, the pedagogical concept would endanger the well-being of the child.

Allegation of sexual abuse in two cases

The other, 28-year-old educator, is accused of two cases of sexual abuse of wards. A spokeswoman for the Hanover District Court said that the trial had been temporarily suspended because an important witness was abroad. As soon as this witness could be summoned, the trial could be resumed at any time. The defendant did not want to get involved in an agreement with a confession, said the court spokeswoman. Previously, the »Hannoversche Allgemeine« had reported on the trial.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the state youth welfare office had made the condition for the further operation of the controversial daycare center that the pedagogical concept of all Awo daycare centers in Hanover as well as the child protection concept with external advice had to be revised immediately.

Dirk von der Osten, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of the Awo Region Hannover, had emphasized that there were no rooms in the Awo day-care centers in which children were encouraged or motivated to nudity or body exploration games. Nor had it ever been considered to create such spaces. "We take the situation very seriously." He wanted to apologize for the "uncertainty that has arisen".

jpa/dpa