Cases of Stübing v. Germany

Patrick Stuebing lives in Leipzig, Germany, and has recently been the centre of a heated debate around incest, due to his relationship with his biological sister, Susan Karolewski, since 2001. The relationship has so far spawned four children of whom only one remains with the couple (Sofia).

They share a small flat in an east German tower block on the outskirts of the city. Patrick, an unemployed locksmith was adopted and, as a child, he lived in Potsdam. He did not meet his mother and biological family until he was 23.

Incest is a criminal offence in Germany. Patrick Stuebing has already served a two-year sentence for committing incest and there is another jail term looming if paragraph 173 of the legal code is not overturned. Under Germany's criminal code, which dates back to 1871, it is a crime for close relatives to have sex and it's punishable by up to three years in prison. The couple's lawyer has argued that the law is out of date and breaches the couple's civil rights.

In 2004, Patrick voluntarily underwent a vasectomy.