Four members of a German family are standing trial accused of forcing their live‑in cleaner to pull out her own teeth and endure years of violent abuse inside their home in Lower Saxony.

The case, which centres on alleged assaults over about four and a half years at a house in Salzgitter, is being heard at Braunschweig Regional Court. Prosecutors say the woman, who is in her thirties, was beaten, burned and routinely humiliated while working and living with the family.

The defendants have not been convicted, and the presumption of innocence applies. At the trial's opening, three defendants addressed the allegations, while the fourth said he would remain silent.

German news agency dpa (Deutsche Presse-Agentur) reported in September that the trial would begin at the end of October. NDR reported that the woman was initially friends with the mother and daughter, with the prosecution describing their relationship as almost familial. She later carried out errands and cleaning work for them.

Four Defendants in German Family Abuse Case

The accused are a 50-year-old man and his 63-year-old wife, together with her 29-year-old daughter and the daughter's 54-year-old partner, according to German media reports. They face charges of dangerous, joint and serious bodily harm. All but the partner have been held in pre‑trial custody. Under German privacy rules, the defendants are not named in full.

Under Section 224 of Germany's Criminal Code, dangerous bodily harm includes assaults involving weapons or other dangerous implements, as well as attacks carried out jointly by multiple people. The offence carries a prison sentence of six months to 10 years, although less serious cases carry lower penalties.

Police first moved against the family in March. Bild reported that arrests were made in Salzgitter over a weekend, after the district court in Clausthal‑Zellerfeld issued warrants.

Christian Wolters, a senior public prosecutor in Braunschweig, confirmed that the investigation involved the mother, her daughter and the mother's husband.

Early reports suggested the alleged abuse lasted for months. The indictment now covers a far longer period of roughly four and a half years.

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Teeth, Burns and a Baseball Bat: What Court Papers Allege

According to NDR, citing legal documents, the woman was struck with a baseball bat and had her stomach burned with a Bunsen burner. She was also allegedly forced, on more than one occasion, to pull out her own teeth with a wrench, and had her tongue nailed to a board. dpa reported that a hammer was among the tools allegedly used.

The abuse was reportedly carried out as punishment for turning up late for work or cleaning poorly, according to NDR. The alleged victim was reported to be 32 when the case first emerged.

The allegations have not been tested to a verdict. At the trial's opening, the 63-year-old woman was expected to admit most of the allegations, while her daughter admitted some acts but disputed parts of the prosecution's account. The daughter's partner intended to make a comprehensive confession, while the woman's husband declined to comment in court.

Neighbours Describe Visible Decline

Neighbours told reporters they had watched the woman's health deteriorate. One said they could see her physical decline. Another recalled hearing her being shouted at outside the house over allegedly poor cleaning, and noticing she was missing more and more teeth. These accounts were reported by German media and have not been tested in court.

The allegations remain subject to the court proceedings and have not been established by a verdict. This report draws on German media coverage of the prosecution's case.

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