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The municipality of Forbach near the german-French border

Photo: MAXIMILIAN SCHWARZ / REUTERS

In the sensational case of a German couple in eastern France, the judiciary considers the allegations of deprivation of liberty, torture and rape to be questionable. There are no findings that substantiate the serious accusations of the woman against her husband, said the prosecutor of Saargemünd, Olivier Glady, on Tuesday. The 55-year-old arrested German should be released from police custody on Tuesday. There are no indications of criminal prosecution of the man.

Initially, investigations into possible rape, deprivation of liberty and torture had been launched. Glady now evaluated the accusation of deprivation of liberty as an "non-existent reality". There are no traces of rape, and the accusation of torture could not be substantiated by any knowledge gained.

Social desperation instead of crime

On Monday morning, French police officers arrested the man in Forbach, near Saarland. His 53-year-old wife, also German, had previously called the German security forces, according to Glady. She said she had been held captive and abused by her husband since 2011. Why did the woman call Wiesbaden, Hesse, of all places, and not in the neighboring Saarland? She saw the police phone number on a TV show and kept it in her head, Glady said.

Instead of a criminal horror, the case seems to reveal much more social despair, the prosecutor summed up. In the long questioning, the woman repeated her accusations. Her husband, on the other hand, spoke of an illness from which his wife had been suffering for a long time. She denied being ill. "But at this point in time, and especially taking into account the forensic findings, her own assessment of the situation may not be the most accurate."

No medical care whatsoever

It was not clear at first exactly what disease the woman should suffer from. The couple also couldn't give a clear diagnosis, Glady said. There was no medical care. The man had said that the two had not turned to French doctors because they did not speak French. They are also not insured in France and have thought about medical costs.

The couple has been married since 2001 and has lived in France for years. The man initially worked there for a German company. When the company moved, he lost his job and received unemployment benefits from France. He has no contact with his family in Germany. The woman is also not connected to her parents and sister, who live in Spain.

Since symptoms appeared, as the man stated in his interrogation, the German cared for his wife. About ten months ago, her condition deteriorated. She hadn't been able to walk since. According to prosecutor Glady, the man suspects that his wife blames him for her suffering and for this reason has made the serious allegations against him. The woman was still in hospital on Tuesday evening. The results of a psychological examination were pending.

ktz/dpa