First civil lawsuits begin over Sparkasse break-in

The legal battles stemming from a spectacular multi-million euro break-in at a Sparkasse bank in Gelsenkirchen nearly six months ago are now entering their initial civil court phases. Two customers are pursuing damages from the bank, claiming negligence in security measures led to the theft of their valuables.

The first case, scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the Essen Regional Court, involves a customer demanding 391,000 euros from Sparkasse for cash and jewelry stolen from her compromised safety deposit box. Immediately following, a second customer will present a claim for nearly 49,000 euros, intended to cover the loss of gold coins and family heirlooms.

The incident occurred shortly after Christmas when perpetrators gained access to an archive room via an underground garage. From there, they used a powerful specialized drill to penetrate the vault, breaking open almost all of the approximately 3,100 safety deposit boxes before escaping with their loot. The total damages could potentially reach into the hundreds of millions of euros.

The plaintiffs accuse the bank of severe oversights in its security protocols and are demanding full compensation for their losses. Sparkasse has firmly rejected these allegations. Disputes also extend to the exact contents of the safety deposit boxes.