A German couple have been accused of torturing their cleaner over a five-year period, including allegedly nailing her tongue to a board and forcing her to pull out her own teeth.
Oliver K., 50, and Dagmar K., 63, are accused of repeatedly abusing the woman at their home in Lower Saxony, Germany, where she also lived.
Braunschweig Regional Court heard that the alleged abuse included beating the victim with a baseball bat and burning her skin with a laboratory lamp. Some of the alleged acts were reportedly filmed.
According to prosecutors, the couple allegedly nailed the woman’s tongue to a board before forcing her to extract her own teeth using pliers, German newspaper Bild reported.
The alleged abuse came to light after neighbours noticed that the woman appeared to have fewer teeth. Police were eventually contacted after she confided in a friend, leading to the couple’s arrest.
The couple’s 29-year-old daughter and her 54-year-old partner have also been charged over their alleged involvement in the abuse.
According to reports, 19 trial dates have been scheduled, with proceedings expected to continue until March 2027.
The case is among several recent allegations of prolonged abuse that have drawn attention internationally.
In a separate case in West Virginia, United States, a couple have been charged with allegedly subjecting their three adopted children to prolonged physical and emotional abuse.
Erica Lynn Sayre, 45, and her husband, Clifford Gale Sayre, 46, allegedly abused the children inside their home.
According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the children were allegedly starved, strangled and beaten with household objects.
Erica is also accused of punishing the children by making them run barefoot over gravel, dumping cat litter on their beds and smearing dog faeces on their toys.
Authorities said all three children were rescued during a raid on the home. The couple face multiple charges, including child neglect.
The allegations in both cases remain subject to legal proceedings.
