A 62-year-old vocational college teacher in Wesel, Germany, now faces serious fraud and forgery charges after allegedly receiving more than €248,000 in salary payments while failing to teach for 16 years. Authorities contend she submitted dishonest medical certification to remain on paid sick leave despite allegedly being fit to work.
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## Absence without teaching: The case details
The teacher, employed by a vocational college in North Rhine-Westphalia, is accused of having effectively stopped teaching in February 2009. Despite her absence from the classroom, she continued to draw her full civil servant salary, supported by medical certificates that justified her ongoing sick leave.
The charges focus specifically on the period between March 2021 and March 2025, during which prosecutors allege she falsely claimed incapacity to teach and submitted certificates knowing she could have resumed work. These documents, according to investigators, misled the state into continuing salary payments.
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## Fraud, forgery, and scuba-diving allegations
Besides fraud, she is charged with forgery for allegedly producing two bogus documents stating she was fit for scuba-diving—a doctor claimed to issue them doesn’t exist.
Prosecutors maintain the forged certificates were part of a larger pattern in which she used medical justifications to keep collecting pay. The primary accusation is that she submitted certificates stating that sickness prevented her from working, while allegedly knowing this was not the case.
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## Judicial developments and limitations
The case became widely noticed in 2025 after an administrative review of her personnel file revealed her lengthy absence and questioned why no formal medical evaluation had occurred earlier. A new school administrator initiated scrutiny of the arrangement.
When ordered to submit to a medical examination, she challenged the directive, claiming it was unjustified after so many years away from teaching. A court dismissed her challenge and fined her €2,500 for legal fees.
Key to the legal case, the indictment only covers the past four years—2021 to 2025—because allegations from earlier years are beyond the statute of limitations.
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## Financial scope and possible full extent
Investigators assert that between March 2021 and March 2025 the alleged improper payments added up to over €248,000. The cumulative salary she might have received since 2009 could total nearly €1 million, though that larger amount remains speculative and outside the present indictment.
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## Civil-service rules and medical duties
In Germany, civil servants—including teachers—may receive full salary when medically certified unfit for duty, unlike many private-sector workers who are subject to time limits on sickness benefits. However, civil servants are not exempt from medical assessments or reviews concerning ongoing fitness to serve.
Authorities allege the teacher avoided such assessments for years, thereby preventing determination of whether she still qualified for her role or whether retirement on medical grounds might be appropriate.
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## What’s next: Court proceedings
Charges have been filed at the Regional Court in Duisburg, which will decide whether to advance the matter to a full trial. The teacher has neither publicly commented on the allegations nor contested the criminal charges. The court’s review centers on whether the indictment will be admitted, and judgment awaits.
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## Broader implications and oversight questions
This case has sparked debate over how long civil servants can remain on paid leave without regular medical examinations. Critics argue oversight mechanisms failed in this instance, allowing years of uninterrupted salary payouts despite extended absence from duties.
Unfolding scrutiny underscores the balance between employee rights during illness and obligations to ensure public funds are spent appropriately. For many, the controversy will also test Germany’s legal frameworks governing civil-service accountability and sick-leave policies.
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