In the case of the girl allegedly held in a house in Sauerland for years, witness hearings are still ongoing. That said the Siegen chief public prosecutor Patrick Baron von Grotthuss on Sunday of the German Press Agency.

One tries "somehow to illuminate the motive situation", he explained to the background. The environment will be questioned. The question of "why the whole thing" happened is very important for the public prosecutor. The accused have so far remained silent on the allegations.

The background is still unclear

On Saturday it became known that an eight-year-old girl was said to have been held in a house in Attendorn in Sauerland for almost her entire life. The mother and two grandparents are accused of deprivation of liberty and abuse of those in custody. The background is still completely unclear. There should be no evidence of abuse. According to the public prosecutor's office, the youth welfare office and the police made representations to the house in September with a court order.

Chief public prosecutor Baron von Grotthuss explained that an application had already been made to appoint a so-called supplementary court guardian for the child, who is now in a foster family. "The parents can no longer decide for the child, at least not the mother now," he explained. A family court would have to appoint someone to look after the girl's interests. The next step would be an assessment of the child. The father lives separately from the family.