In the suspected case of child abuse in a daycare center in the Berlin district of Spandau, the daycare operator has raised allegations against the State Criminal Police Office (LKA).
As the board of the AWO district association Spandau, Thomas Scheunemann, told SPIEGEL, they learned in retrospect that a complaint had been made to the police about a week before the daycare management was notified.
"That was an absolute shock for us," said Scheunemann.
"But there is also great anger among the parents that it took so long." The complaint was filed by the parents of a child previously cared for in the daycare center because of the sexual abuse of their daughter.
A police spokeswoman confirmed that the complaint was filed on August 25 and then sent to the specialist department.
"That went the formal way." On August 27, a Friday, the complaint was received by the department for sexual abuse, said the spokeswoman.
After the weekend on which four more reports were received, attempts were initially unsuccessful to contact the daycare center.
The first contact with the daycare was then successful on Tuesday, August 31st.
The spokeswoman was unable to provide any information on the content of the first advertisement.
"According to previous knowledge, there should have been sexual acts on children during the care hours," it said in a police report.
The suspect is a 32-year-old man.
Scheunemann said that the suspect was still working in daycare on August 27.
The fact that the man was no longer supervising children was also due to a coincidence: Due to a strike by the Ver.di union on August 30 and 31, the suspect only worked until the previous Friday despite a contract that ran until August 31 .
Overall, the suspect had been employed by a temporary employment agency for two months.
Suspect is said to have presented a police clearance certificate
Scheunemann said that such substitute workers who are hired when employees are absent are state-certified educators who have to present an extended police clearance certificate.
"We did the same with the person, there were no clues."
After the notification from the LKA, the daycare center informed the parents about the investigation and offered support, said Scheunemann.
Last Monday, an information event was also held, which, however, escalated.
Employees and the management of the daycare center were massively approached by parents at the event.
One woman broke down and needed treatment.
The police, the emergency services and the emergency pastoral care were on site to ease the situation.
As Scheunemann said, the day care center will be closed until the end of the week.
Although there is emergency care, it is provided by educators from a neighboring daycare center and a confidant known to the children.
Most parents could not have imagined taking their child back to daycare the next day, said Scheunemann.
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