Fathers threaten billion-Mark class action suit

[Translated from the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung"]

dtz. WIESBADEN, January, 31, 2002.

German and foreign fathers that don't have access to their children after separation or divorce want to exact in a class-action suit compensatory payment from the Federal Government of Germany.

According to the self-help organization "Destinies Child" [sic] (http://www.german-childnorm.com), on account of the prevailing judiciary practices presently about 200,000 German fathers are being locked out from access to their minor children. Wiesbaden family-advocate Wolfgang Bache, who has been authorized to launch the complaint, sees therein a massive violation of the respect for family life that is guaranteed through the European Convention for Human Rights.

The expectations for success are according to Bache's opinion based, amongst other things, on four decisions by the European Court for Human Rights against Germany during the last two years. In four decisions, one Turkish- and three German fathers received a total of DM180,000 in damage awards. [*]

With considerably larger demands and the participation of about 4,000 fathers in the class-action suit that will be filed this summer in the Berlin Regional Court, "Destinies Child" expects that the compensation to be paid will run to about a half-billion Euro.

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