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Courthouse in Ulm
Photo: Stefan Puchner / dpa
The trial against a couple who allegedly held a man in a cellar for days, abused him and finally murdered him has begun before the Ulm Regional Court.
The two accused remained silent on the allegations.
According to the public prosecutor, the 27-year-old accused, together with her current partner, locked her former partner in the basement in Laichingen in May 2022 and abused her.
At the beginning of June, the accused is said to have strangled the 31-year-old man.
Partners incited to abuse
The couple lived with the 31-year-old in a shared apartment.
According to the indictment, the accused woman was unemployed.
She is said to have made a living from donations from her former and current partner.
When her ex-boyfriend was no longer able to meet the woman's financial demands, she is said to have lied to her jealous and irascible partner and told him that her ex-boyfriend had touched her.
With this allegation, she wanted to incite him to abuse.
The partner then hit the ex-boyfriend with a telescopic stick, tied him up and temporarily locked him in the basement.
After further daily abuse, the couple realized in early June that their victim needed medical attention.
Since both feared that their crime would be exposed, they decided to kill him, according to the indictment.
Deadlines have been set for the trial until mid-February.
bbr/dpa/AFP