Termination of abstract norm control over child sexual exploitation statute due to withdrawal of referral application

The Federal Constitutional Court ordered the discontinuance of the proceedings, rendering no substantive legal judgment as the referring court withdrew its application. The dispute concerned a constitutional complaint challenging the constitutionality of § 184b of the German Criminal Code (StGB), which criminalizes the sexual exploitation of children and youths. The case was dismissed solely on procedural grounds: because the referring court rescinded the application that had initiated the abstract norm control review, the Court applied the established doctrine that such a withdrawal mandates the termination of the proceedings, rendering the original constitutional question moot.