On Tuesday, the Luxembourg City Court heard the case of a 40-year-old man accused of committing serious sexual violence against his two daughters.
The younger daughter, who was 14 when she spoke to the police, testified that the abuse began when her father touched her breast while she was under a blanket after she went to wish him goodnight. However, the court heard that the abuse of the older daughter had started years earlier, when she was between 9 and 10 years old. The older sister, now 19, told investigators that she decided to report her father to the police after suspecting he was also abusing her younger sister.
The defendant is accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting both daughters, who were between 9 and 14 years and 12 to 14 years respectively, between 2015 and 2023. The charges include touching their breasts and genital areas, as well as digitally penetrating the older daughter. He is also alleged to have forced both girls to perform oral sex on him, at times using physical force to push their heads toward his genitals. “I had to suck his cock,” one of the daughters stated in her testimony to the criminal police.
According to the victims, the abuse often occurred after arguments between the defendant and their mother. The mother claims to have been unaware of the abuse. The older daughter testified that the assaults happened once a month or more frequently, sometimes three to four times a month, until she was around 14 or 15 years old. The abuse of the younger daughter is said to have continued in the following years.
In the case of the younger daughter, the abuse allegedly began when she was 12 years old and continued until she was taken to the police station on 23 December 2023. Her older sister, who was no longer a victim of her father at the time, accompanied by her boyfriend, reported the allegations to authorities. The now 16-year-old described their father’s actions to her lawyer, saying, “We were like toys to him, and he didn’t care.”
In court, the defendant’s statements were largely incoherent. He claimed to have no memory of the events, prompting the judge to remark that this seemed conveniently timed to avoid responsibility. The defence lawyer suggested that the lack of memory could be due to repression. However, the court-appointed psychologist found no psychological disorders that might explain the defendant’s behaviour, aside from diagnosing him with paedophilia. The expert noted that the defendant led an otherwise “normal social life.” When feeling frustrated–described as “an individual prone to extreme jealousy"–the defendant reportedly turned to pornography, where he compared himself to actors and felt inadequate.
The psychiatrist called to testify also concluded that the defendant appeared intent on evading responsibility. The defendant repeatedly claimed that the “acts of affection” were initiated by his daughters and that he was under the assumption that they derived pleasure from them. In response, the lawyer representing one of the victims emphasised, “At no point were these acts of affection, and at no point was there any pleasure whatsoever.” The lawyer further stated that her client would never forget the trauma of the sexual abuse and rape and would suffer its effects for the rest of her life.
The two young women, now 16 and 19 years old, were present in the courtroom during the proceedings. As details of the events were recounted, both sisters repeatedly broke into tears.
The prosecution has called for a 24-year prison sentence, with the possibility of a partially suspended term contingent on the defendant undergoing therapy. However, the psychiatric expert testified that successfully administering therapy would be challenging, given the defendant’s lack of remorse and refusal to take responsibility for his actions. Additionally, the two civil parties have each requested €60,000 in damages.
The verdict is scheduled to be announced on 13 March.
