Dad charged with violence, sexual assault against children (Sonderborg, Denmark)

UNNAMED DAD is is facing charges of violence, threats, and sexual violence against his children. He has 11 of them with two different "wives"--one official, one not.

http://www.cphpost.dk/news/crime/155-crime/48430-new-case-of-child-abuse.html

New case of child abuse
Friday, 05 March 2010 14:08 RC News

The second case in a week of parents subjecting their children to domestic abuse has surfaced in Jutland

A 60-year-old Egyptian man is in custody in the Jutland town of Sønderborg, facing charges of violence, threats and sexual assault against his own children.

According to TV2 News, the man has a total of 11 children with two wives – a Danish woman to whom he is married, and a German woman, whom he also considered himself married to.

Reportedly, the charges include incest committed against two of the man’s daughters. Social authorities say the two families were living under the same roof.

The man has four children from his German wife and seven children from the Danish woman, who told police that the alleged abuse had been occurring for a long period. In 2003, one of the daughters accused her father of sexual assault but later withdrew the complaint.

The children’s school, a teacher and a social worker had also previously notified authorities of domestic violence occurring in the household. In August of last year, Sønderborg council finally intervened in the case, leading to yesterday’s arrest.

But the case was reportedly being handled behind closed doors by the council, and the police therefore had little information about it. The matter has now been handed over to the public prosecutor, who will decide what specific charges the man will eventually face.

The man has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Since the arrest, seven of the children have been taken into custody by social services.

Social affairs minister Benedikte Kiær is now demanding an official statement from Sønderborg Council on the case by next Thursday.

‘It is absolutely inconceivable that the abuse apparently went on for several years before the council responded to the reports of violence and sexual abuse of these children,’ said Kiær.

Yesterday’s arrest comes on the heels of last week’s abuse case from Brønderslev, where a couple is facing charges of violence against their 20-year-old mentally-impaired daughter. Police believe the couple’s eight other children have also been victims of severe neglect.

Kiær said she also plans to hold a meeting with national council association Local Government Denmark over the issue.

‘It doesn’t do any good to have clear rules for assisting vulnerable children when the councils aren’t making use of them,’ she said.