A father who gained fame in Germany for raising his huge brood by himself has admitted that he sexually abused ten of his children when they were as young as three.
Steffen H. repeatedly sexually abused 10 of his 12 children as well as two of their young friends for more than 20 years, German media report.
‘I am ashamed of the heinous acts against my own children and two friends,’ the 64-year-old from Leipzig in the state of Saxony told a court after admitting to countless acts of abuse when the children were as young as three years old.
Steffen H. regularly featured in German media after the mother of his children left him in 2006 and he had to raise his brood of eight by himself, earning him the nickname ‘Papawittchen’, an amalgamation of the German words for ‘dad’ and ‘snowwhite’.
A TV appearance about the single ‘superdad’, as media referred to the then 46-year-old, caused Mandy K., then 25, to reach out and fall in love with him. The couple went on to have another five children together.
He reportedly was already sexually abusing his children when he was featured in the media nearly two decades ago.
Mandy K., who claims to not have known about the abuse, has since left Steffen H. and is a co-plaintiff in the case alongside the children, some of whom are now adults.
‘I want to go to therapy so that my children will forgive me. I still love my children very much,’ Steffen H. read out in court, tabloid Bild reports.
Steffen H. (pictured centre) repeatedly sexually abused 10 of his 12 children as well as two of their young friends for more than 20 years, German media report
‘I am ashamed of the heinous acts against my own children and two friends,’ the 64-year-old from Leipzig in the state of Saxony told a court after admitting to countless acts of abuse when the children were as young as three years old
The prosecutor alleges that Steffen H. abused the twelve children – ten of whom were his own – between 2001 and 2022.
Dominik Schulz, president of the regional court in Chemnitz where the trial is held, told broadcaster RTL that people claim to have never noticed anything.
‘The children were, let’s say, available for so long,’ he said.
Schulz added: ‘A truly terrible approach and, from a human perspective, really difficult to understand.’
Steffen H. is facing up to ten years in prison for his heinous crimes.
Due to his confession, his children and victims have been spared from having to testify in court.
The verdict in the case is expected at the end of March.
