Prosecutors probe German teens 'enslaved' in Romania

Romanian authorities searched eight houses on Tuesday as part of a probe into a group suspected of mistreating German children under the umbrella of a social "re-education" program, prosecutors said.

Eight suspects, including a German couple, are under investigation for allegedly forcing teenagers aged between 12 and 18 to "do exhausting physical labour" in numerous households, detaining them in "slavery-like conditions," and treating them in "humiliating and degrading" ways, prosecutors said in a statement.

All eight are involved with "Projekt Maramures," a "so-called social program" named after the region in northern Romania where it is based, the statement said. No arrests have been made so far.

The project is financed by the German state and was founded and coordinated by one of the German suspects and licensed by Romania's labour ministry, the statement added.

The project promised to "rehabilitate" troubled children and teenagers from Germany with recreational activities and psychological assistance.

But according to prosecutors, the teens were not allowed to study or take their prescription drugs, had no contact with the outside world and were targets of "harsh and brutal methods of so-called re-education."

Prosecutors did not say how many children were affected, but on its website "Projekt Maramures" says it has taken care of 61 children since its founding and can host almost 20 youths at a time at a remote farm and with a dozen host families.

The alleged abuses took place from 2014 until this month, prosecutors said. Some of the minors are now in the care of social workers in Maramures county.

Abuse allegations surrounding the program have surfaced in Romanian media in the past, but no action had been taken until now.