After the alleged murder of her two children, a 44-year-old has been standing before the Mannheim district court since today. The mother is said to have first drugged her seven and nine year old sons on Holy Saturday in Hockenheim near Heidelberg and then suffocated them.
The defendant did not provide any information at the start of the trial. The central question of whether she had reduced culpability at the time of the crime still remains. The father of their children gave insights into the family’s life.
Prosecutor: treacherous murder
The public prosecutor accuses the woman of malicious murder in both cases. According to the information, the German has developed a personality disorder as a result of brain damage. She was convinced that the father was abusing the two children and saw them in massive danger from her ex-husband. She saw killing them both as a way out.
Since 2020, the children have mostly lived with their father, from whom their mother lived separately. You should spend the Easter holidays with your wife.
She is said to have immobilized the boys on Holy Saturday with various medications. Then, according to prosecutors, she suffocated her children and inflicted wounds on their heads. According to the prosecution, she wrote an email to the police in which she confessed to a “bad” crime. Afterwards she tried to kill herself.
The ex-husband reported in detail about the marriage and the turbulent time afterwards. There were frequent arguments during the relationship and the woman became violent towards him on several occasions. For the now 56-year-old, who is involved in the trial as a co-plaintiff, the situation became increasingly worse and was almost unbearable towards the end.
Family court involved
The couple separated in 2018 and filed for divorce. The children spent the weekends with their mother, which she did not accept. After a visit, she no longer gave the children away. The man said he had no contact with his sons for eight months. He contacted the family court and ultimately received the right to determine his place of residence.
He was aware of his ex-wife’s allegations that he posed a danger to their sons. Her father resolutely rejected her. He never became violent towards the children.
In the witness stand, a forensic scientist and three police officers, who rushed to the defendant’s address on Easter Sunday after receiving the email at the police station, described the incident. They described how they found the woman in the apartment with a weapon, which later turned out to be a blank pistol. The defendant threatened the police officers several times and also turned the pistol on herself. Several police officers arrested the woman. The emergency doctor and police then found the two boys dead in their cots.
The court is planning five more hearing dates until January 8th.
