Boy's Death Investigated
October 12, 2006
Police are investigating how a two-year-old Bremen boy's body ended up stuffed in three trashbags in his father's fridge. The case has caused outrage in Germany and raised serious questions about the effectiveness of the country's child welfare system.
A family court had recently ordered that the boy--identified only as Kevin --be taken away from his 41-year-old father, a heroin addict known for his violent outbursts.
But when welfare officials and the police went to fetch Kevin on Tuesday, it was already too late. Police found the child's corpse in the refrigerator.
"Kevin was under the guardianship of the state. And we had a responsibility to protect him and take great care in this case but nonetheless we failed to prevent his death," said Bremen's Social Affairs Senator Karin Röpke. "I am deeply troubled by this incident, which will be investigated thoroughly. We have failed to guarantee the welfare of this child.”
Opposition politicians and the press said the local welfare services had failed miserably, as they had last seen Kevin alive in July, and should be held to account.
Röpke, whose department was responsible, resigned Wednesday.
Father under arrest
An autopsy showed the toddler had broken bones in both legs and his left arm as well as blood stains on his skull. The prosecutor's office said the exact cause of death was unclear but it appeared that Kevin had been dead for at least several days. Outraged members of the public placed flowers and candles outside the apartment block in Bremen's Groepeling district where the drama took place.
Kevin’s father, who is being treated with the substitute drug methadone, has been arrested. According to state prosecutors, he faces charges of manslaughter and abuse of a minor. He is also under investigation in connection with the death last year of the boy's mother, who was also a drug user.
There have been at least half-a-dozen cases in the last six years where parents in Germany have been charged or sentenced to prison terms for causing the death of their children by neglect. Experts estimate there are about 10.000 children living in conditions bordering on neglect in Germany, which is one of Europe's richest countries.