Parents who raped their children get 11 and 12 years in prison

A Czech court has sentenced a married couple who sexually abused their young children for years to 11 years in prison for the woman and 12 years for the man. The woman's sentence is final, while the man has kept the right to appeal. The court has also stripped both of parental rights over the boy and the girl.

The crimes came to light by chance, during an investigation into other offenses. In her closing speech, prosecutor Klára Kubátová said the only mitigating circumstance for the defendants was that they pleaded guilty. According to the prosecution, the couple abused the children for at least two years and filmed it. Investigators found extensive conversations on both defendants' devices in which they exchanged child pornography.

Experts found no sexual deviation in the parents and ruled that they were sane when they committed the crimes. “Personal perversion drove them to it,” Kubátová said. She noted that at least the older child will remember what happened, and that material showing the children will keep circulating online.

The children's guardian said the intrusion into their lives is severe and will last a lifetime, since they had no one but their own parents. The older child described in detail what went on at home. The court granted the claim for non-material damages: 700,000 crowns for the older child and 400,000 crowns for the younger. The couple waived their right to appeal this part of the ruling.

Each committed five crimes, including rape, production and distribution of pornography, and sex between relatives. They faced five to 15 years in prison. The court took the guilty pleas into account, and in the woman's case also that she had no prior convictions. The judges justified the sentences by the long period over which the crimes were committed and their extreme danger and harm.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz