German prosecutors have charged a paediatrician in Brandenburg state with 130 counts of sexual abuse, including the rape of children, in a case that has shocked the country and raised concerns over safety procedures in clinics.

The 46-year-old doctor, whose identity has not been disclosed, has been in custody since November after a mother reported suspicions that her child had been assaulted, News.Az reports, citing Sky New.

According to prosecutors in Potsdam, the alleged crimes were committed between 2013 and 2025. The accused faces charges linked to serious sexual abuse of children and rape. Authorities have not revealed how many children are believed to have been victims.

Most of the alleged offences were reportedly committed while the doctor was carrying out his professional duties at clinics operated by the Havelland healthcare group in the Brandenburg towns of Rathenow and Nauen. Prosecutors confirmed that the suspect remains in pre-trial detention, while a regional court in Potsdam will decide whether the case proceeds to trial.

During the investigation, police seized data storage devices believed to contain relevant images. German newspaper Bild reported that the investigation began after a child was allegedly assaulted while receiving treatment in the paediatric ward of Rathenow hospital.

Following the revelations in January, the Havelland Kliniken group launched an internal review with the support of external experts. The group stated that the “four-eyes protocol”, requiring two people to be present during examinations of children, had not always been followed.

“The allegations undermine the trust of patients and their families,” medical director Mike Lehsnau said at the time. After prosecutors formally announced the charges, the healthcare group released another statement pledging full cooperation with investigators and offering support to affected families.

The case has drawn comparisons to another major scandal in France. Last May, former surgeon Joël Le Scouarnec was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of patients, most of them children under the age of 15.

Le Scouarnec worked in hospitals across Brittany and western France and was accused of 111 rapes and 189 sexual assaults committed between 1989 and 2014. Many victims were reportedly assaulted while under anaesthetic or recovering after surgery. The case intensified pressure on French authorities to address failures within the healthcare and justice systems.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova