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German teacher on paid sick leave for 16 years faces €248k fraud charges

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The educator stopped working at a vocational college in Wesel in February 2009, continuing to draw state compensation by providing medical certificates. Her extended paid absence was finally challenged in 2025 when a new administrator requested a formal medical evaluation, leading the employee to lose an appeal and incur €2,500 in legal fees. Investigators also claim she forged medical clearance documents for scuba diving using the name of a nonexistent physician. The current charges cover only the last four years of payments because previous offenses fall outside the statute of limitations.

Key points

  • The criminal fraud indictment covers more than €248,000 received between March 2021 and M…: The criminal fraud indictment covers more than €248,000 received between March 2021 and March 2025 because earlier payments are time-barred.
  • A regional court in Duisburg is reviewing the case to decide if it will proceed to a full…: A regional court in Duisburg is reviewing the case to decide if it will proceed to a full trial.
  • Estimates suggest the instructor may have accumulated nearly €1 million in state funds th…: Estimates suggest the instructor may have accumulated nearly €1 million in state funds throughout her 16-year absence from the classroom.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

A 62-year-old German teacher who reportedly remained on paid sick leave for 16 years without returning to the classroom has been charged with fraud and forgery, in a case that has raised questions about oversight of long-term sick leave among civil servants. According to German public broadcaster Tagesschau, citing the Duisburg public prosecutor’s office, the teacher is accused of fraud in 11 particularly serious cases and forging two documents. Investigators allege she received more than €248,000 in salary payments between March 2021 and March 2025 despite being capable of working. The charges were filed at the Regional Court in Duisburg, and the court must now decide whether to open a full trial.

The woman, whose identity has not been publicly disclosed, was employed at a vocational college in Wesel, a town in Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia region. She reportedly stopped teaching in February 2009 but continued receiving her full salary as a civil servant while submitting medical certificates to justify her absence. The case first attracted widespread attention in 2025, when officials sought to establish whether she remained medically unfit to…

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