After several months of investigation, the Münster prosecutor's office has filed charges against the former chairman of the Heinrich-Piepmeyer-Haus association under the article “Breach of trust“.
The 44-year-old teacher is reported to have transferred around 700,000 euros from the kindergarten's account to his personal account. The man was previously chairman of the sponsoring association of the Heinrich-Piepmeyer-Haus kindergarten in Münster (North Rhine-Westphalia).
Around 70 children are raised there, many of whom have physical or mental disabilities.
This went unnoticed for a long time because the board of directors decided to transfer the money to the kindergarten's savings account so that interest could be accrued. According to the prosecutor's office, however, the money never arrived.
During an annual audit, the former chairman of the association failed to provide the necessary documents showing exactly where the money went. In February 2024 the sponsoring organization has filed a criminal complaint.
According to the prosecutor's office, the former chairman of the kindergarten apparently suffered personal losses due to private stock transactions, which he wanted to compensate for with funds allocated for the maintenance of the kindergarten.
During the search, the teacher stated that he had invested in the shares in order to do “something good for the kindergarten association“.
The shortage of EUR 700,000 had become a problem for the kindergarten. The money was intended for an urgent reconstruction of the building. The playground behind the building was also planned to be converted to provide access for people with disabilities. This had been planned for years, but was never implemented.
The “Heinrich Pipmeier“ house was built in 1961. on the initiative of parents who initially wanted to support and care for children with physical and multiple disabilities. Since the early 1990s, the special kindergarten has been operating on the principle of integration, which means that it also cares for children without disabilities.
The accused himself was a kindergarten teacher. The Münster Regional Court has not yet accepted the charges against him. It is not yet clear when the trial against the former chairman of the sponsoring association may begin.