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France releases German accused of holding wife captive

August 8, 2023

The man's wife had told authorities that she had been trapped by her husband since 2011. Prosecutors said it was more likely a case of "unsatisfactory conditions of the care of a sick person."

https://p.dw.com/p/4UvZK
Apartment buildings in Forbach, Lorraine, eastern France
The incident in Forbach drew the attention of both French and German authoritiesImage: Thomas Frey/dpa/picture alliance

A 55-year-old German man who was arrested in France was released without charges on Tuesday night after prosecutors said there was "no evidence" of kidnapping.

The man was taken home in an unmarked police car with a sweatshirt over his head, France's AFP news agency reported.

He had been suspected of holding his wife captive for 12 years in the couple's home in Forbach in eastern France. The town lies along France's border with Germany, close to the western German city of Saarbrücken, which is the capital of the state of Saarland.

The 53-year-old woman, who had called German police, was found naked and with a shaved head in a bedroom of the house. She claimed to have been held in captivity and abused since 2011.

Her husband denied the claims, saying that she had cancer and he was caring for her.

'No evidence' of kidnapping, torture

Prosecutor Olivier Glady said that there was "no evidence" that would justify continuing investigations.

"The kidnap scenario never happened," he said. "The allegations by the woman are not backed by any police findings."

A forensic medicine examination of the woman found no signs of rape or injuries.

Police said that her accounts contained "inconsistencies."

Glady said the couple had not registered with the French medical system and had not been registered with German health authorities for years. They were also not in touch with their families, according to the prosecutor.

On Monday, Glady had said that the situation "is probably moving away from a scenario of horror, towards unsatisfactory conditions of the care of a sick person."

sdi/wd (AFP, dpa, Reuters)

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