Alleged torturing parents stand before Horgen district court
Published: Monday, Jan 15th 2024, 04:50
Updated At: Monday, Jan 15th 2024, 04:50
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A 44-year-old mother and a 45-year-old father who allegedly tortured their daughter for years are on trial today at Horgen District Court. According to the indictment, they tied the girl up with adhesive tape and locked her in the cellar, among other things.
Both parents have been charged with grievous bodily harm. The Zurich public prosecutor's office will not announce the sentence until the trial.
From the age of five, the two Swiss men used what the prosecution described as a "degrading education and punishment system", which led to severe psychological damage in their daughter.
The daughter tried to take her own life twice during her childhood and adolescence. She is now an adult and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The mother hit faster, the father harder
According to the public prosecutor's office, the mother hit the children more quickly, while the father hit them harder. The indictment mentions milk teeth being knocked out. The father is also said to have knelt on the girl's neck and almost strangled her.
According to the indictment, the mother did not stop her husband from beating her. She also hit her, for example when the girl didn't want to do her homework. She also allegedly rammed the handle of the mop into her daughter's stomach and sprayed her with the garden hose. There were also "punitive actions" such as standing for hours on end.
Covering bruises with make-up
According to the indictment, the girl had to eat off the floor, was tied up with adhesive tape in the cellar and was repeatedly locked out of the apartment for years, so that she sometimes had to spend days in the garden, in the cellar or in the car.
If the injuries were visible, the parents did not let their daughter go to school or covered the bruises with make-up. However, some of the injuries were so serious that the girl was absent from school for long periods of time.
Arrested in August 2021
It is not clear from the indictment at what point the school and the authorities intervened. In August 2021, the police arrested the parents and remanded them in custody for a month. They have been free again since the end of September 2021. The Horgen district court will open the verdict against the two on January 22.
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