German man who had four children with his sister loses European Court fight claiming incest conviction breached his human rights

A German man who fathered four children with his sister - and then claimed an incest conviction breached his human rights - has lost his European court case.

Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski argued they had rights to privacy and family life, which they say were violated when German courts jailed Steubing for 14 months in 2005.

The European Court of Human Rights, in Strasbourg, France, ruled Germany was entitled to ban incest.

Patrick Stuebing and Susan Karolewski, the German brother and sister who grew up apart, were reunited and then fell in love and had four children. Steubing was convicted of incest in 2005

The case led to calls for Germany to join countries such as France, Turkey, Japan and Brazil in legalising sex between relatives.

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