A trial against a married couple who sexually abused and raped their children on nearly 800 separate occasions has begun in Germany.

Heiko S., 37, and Karin S., 36, appeared in court accused 710 counts of sexual abuse and 64 counts of rape on 11th November 2022.

The couple from Bautzen, in the German state of Saxony, had reportedly sexually assaulted four of their nine children for more than 10 years.

Prosecutors claimed that the offenders had mistreated their two eldest and two youngest children before they were arrested and remanded in custody in March.

Their youngest victim was reportedly just seven years old when the assaults allegedly began in 2012.

Presiding judge Friedrich Stolberg, 60, held the trial behind closed doors to protect the children, who were placed in foster care following their parents’ arrests.

They are being represented in court by lawyers as joint plaintiffs.

During the first hearing, Stolberg read out the charge sheet, which stated that the parents had committed the crime “together in conscious and intentional cooperation”.

Five hearings have been scheduled before the final verdict is delivered in mid-December.

Heiko S. and Karin S. are facing at least two years in prison each, according to local law.