Overview
- The trial at the Cologne Regional Court follows a 2020 investigation into a family-based network, with five defendants facing charges including human trafficking, fraud and organized theft.
- Prosecutors allege a father sold his 16-year-old daughter for €85,000 to a roughly 10-years-older family member.
- Police seized jewelry, cash and several luxury cars during a 2020 raid on a Cologne villa tied to the group.
- Investigators say the items were financed through burglaries of senior facilities and €145,000 in fraudulently obtained social benefits.
- Early courtroom reporting notes the rental-benefits scheme in Cologne-Ostheim appeared substantiated, while most defendants stayed silent and sensational contract details reported by other outlets have not been established in court.