Want to know what is really, really unsexy? Incest. Yep, I think even among those of us who have different sexual needs and desires and who like to mix it up, we can universally agree that brothers and sisters and fathers and daughters and mothers and sons is all kind of yucky, gross, and icky. But the laws that make it illegal are there for a reason. Clearly someone thought it wasn't very gross at all.
In Germany, a brother and sister who have four children together were just informed by a European court that their union is considered incest and that the conviction the brother faces for it still stands.
It's like the real life Flowers in the Attic, but gross as it is, I also see their point.
Unlike most brothers and sisters, Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski had never even met until they were in their 20s. He had been placed in foster care as a child, so he only met his sister late in life. When they met, sparks flew.
OK, gross. I know. But, in this case, while I am not justifying it, I also think throwing him in jail (which is what happened) is a little abnormally harsh. This isn't the only time this has happened, either.
In 2011, a father and daughter who were reunited did the same thing. While yes, it's sick and kind of makes me want to throw my breakfast up, the fact is, these are consenting adults.
The reason incest is illegal is usually for the children, and in this case, their decision to have children did result in disabilities. So while their relationship itself isn't wrong, their decision to have children is.
The government really can't step in and regulate a couple of consenting adults. Sure, we would love to think that all people will make good decisions and not have children if they shouldn't, but it isn't up to the government to decide who can and can't love each other.
The fact is 99.9999999 percent of us are utterly repulsed by the idea of incest and those who aren't are not criminals. They are likely just lonely and in need of love and who knows what else. We should pity them and sympathize, not throw them in jail.
Do you think this couple deserved jail?
Image via Ken_Mayer/Flickr
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Comments 111
No, they do not deserve jail.
I agree with JustMe and the4mutts. They weren't raised together as siblings so they shouldn't be viewed as such. Having a disease or knowing your families' cancer risks and such shouldn't necessarily make a couple not have any kids however, having so many (4) kids, knowing the risks, is heartbreaking though. This is just a sad, sad situation.
In some places it is acceptable.
Personally, I don't really care what anyone does with their own genitals, and feel that as long as they are all adults/legal by their local standards, then we really should just find bigger things to worry about.
There was a woman that had something like 13 children. All were disabled. The 8th was born blind. Others were deaf, retarded, other problems.
The 8th was Bethoven.
Just because a child has a disability, is no reason to say its a shame the parents kept taking that risk. If bethoven's parents would have stopped after 2-3 with disabilities, we would have never had the wonderous compositions of Bethoven
Sorry but these were adults, not kids locked away from society and other options. I don't disagree with their choice to make a life together - each to their own, but to have kids - they deserve what they get. The only way I could see another point is if they didn't know they were related until after the kids arrived. Is the state going to support their kids dissabilities? if so then it's the states' business
another thought - re the comment that people are suggesting parents of disabled kids should stop having kids???? No one is saying that. but if a woman binge drinks througout her pregnacies and has disabled kids do you think it's ok not to intervene? taking a risk with nature is one thing, but actively increasing that risk by your actions or choosing a partner that you know will result in problems is immoral.