Infidelity | Cheating | Adultery – Observations by Our Detectives in Dortmund

Until the 1970s, the primary area of work for almost all detective agencies in Germany was marital matters. To initiate divorce proceedings, clarify questions of fault, and determine spousal maintenance, detectives were commissioned by the betrayed spouse to gather evidence proving the unfaithfulness of the husband or wife. Today, the range of tasks in the detective profession has grown significantly; however, investigations into infidelity remain among the most important and frequently requested services. Accordingly, our detectives in Dortmund have extensive experience in matters of adultery and cheating. We are happy to provide you with a non-binding consultation regarding your case: +49 231 8401 0065.

Many Reasons for Infidelity | Adultery Often a Major Cause of Divorce | Observations in Dortmund and the Ruhr Area

The people of Dortmund tend to be somewhat reluctant to marry (as one Dortmund resident described another: "marriage-averse"), which is reflected in the statistics: in 2014, only 2,652 marriages were registered, compared with 1,355 divorces, most occurring after six years. The reasons for a divorce or separation are varied.

Infidelity within a partnership certainly ranks among the top causes, but it does not necessarily lead to separation – even after proof is obtained by our Dortmund private detectives – because many couples attempt to reconcile. Often, unhappy relationships are characterised by silence: partners feel they have nothing to say, interests have diverged, routine has set in, or they argue over minor issues, keep a close eye on each other, or feel constrained. Perhaps one partner is considering separation, or even an affair. Or opportunity can create "love" when a sudden chance arises to break free from the relationship, as the following case from 2013 illustrates (all names changed):

Case Study of an Adultery Investigation by Our Dortmund Detective Agency

Marianne (22) and Anton P. (24) had known each other for four years and married after one and a half years of cohabitation in Anton’s small single apartment. They later moved into a larger flat together. She worked as a hairdresser, while he was enlisted in the Bundeswehr. Being stationed close to home, he could usually be at home in the evenings. Exceptions included Bundeswehr duties such as guard duty, manoeuvres, or similar exercises, during which he might be away for a week. Initially, everything was fine, and both were overjoyed. After about a year, Marianne noticed that her husband was frequently away on manoeuvres, 30-kilometre marches, and other exercises, and had been on night guard duty unusually often. Not every hairdresser is naïve, and Marianne set a trap for Anton. When he next reported a weekend exercise, she told him she would visit a friend in Cologne until Monday evening. On Friday afternoon, she packed a small suitcase and left the flat – but she did not go to Cologne. Instead, she met with the detectives from Kurtz Detective Agency Dortmund, whom she had previously commissioned, to give final instructions.

Anton likely felt delighted a few hours later when he arrived home, believing he had the flat to himself for the weekend – for good reason. About an hour after he arrived, our Dortmund detectives observed a woman ring his doorbell. Anton rushed to the door, opened it – and there she was: his great love from school! He had met her by chance a few months earlier on his way home from the Bundeswehr and arranged to meet. One meeting led to several, and eventually an affair.

Confrontation of the Unfaithful Spouse

Anton presumably spent a highly intimate evening with his affair partner – so intimate that his wife, sitting two floors down in the stairwell, could hear everything. The following day, Saturday, Anton and his lover left the flat. Marianne, informed by Kurtz Detective Agency Dortmund, rushed into her flat and discovered that her husband’s "sweetheart" had made herself at home: cosmetics and toiletries neatly arranged in the bathroom, clothing not in suitcases but in the wardrobe section where her husband stored his clothes. Was the woman planning to move in? Marianne left again. A few hours later, our Dortmund detectives observed Anton returning to the flat with his companion. Throughout the afternoon and evening, unmistakable sounds could be heard from the apartment (the bedroom window was tilted open) – until Marianne, based on our factual reports, finally lost her temper. She stormed into the marital apartment and bedroom, shouting: "Am I disturbing something? I can come back later!"

Without a word, Marianne packed two suitcases with her most important clothes and belongings and informed her husband that he had four weeks to find a separate flat. She stayed with a neighbour for the following weeks until her husband moved out. The story did not end there: eventually, Marianne forgave Anton. He remained in the Bundeswehr for another year and a half and later worked in a technical department store in Dortmund, where he began an affair with a colleague. Marianne was unaware until Anton was accidentally seen outside Dortmund by his mother-in-law. The marriage ended in divorce, as Marianne later reported by phone to Kurtz Detective Agency Dortmund.

Note

To preserve discretion and the personal rights of clients and targets, all names and locations in this case report have been completely anonymised.