Mother on Trial inโข Germany Accused of Killing Newborn โin Washing โMachine
Hechingen, germany โฃ- A 35-year-old woman is standing trial before the district court of Hechingen, accused of homicide after her newborn baby died after beingโค placed in a โคwashing machine. The alleged crime occurred on theโค evening of Marchโข 29th in Albstadt, on the Swabian Alb.
According โคto the public prosecutor, the woman gave โขbirth unnoticed inโ the bathroom while her partnerโค was at โขhome, unaware of the delivery.โค Shortly โคafter โฃthe โbirth, she โallegedly โคplaced the baby in the washing machine withโค dirty laundry and closed the drum.โฃ
The partner reportedly started the washing โขmachine later that โevening, with the baby still inside.โ After the cycle, โคthe baby’s death was discovered. โAn autopsyโข revealed the infantโ suffered severe trauma andโค died as anโ inevitable result โคof โextensiveโฃ brain edema,possibly โcaused by lack of oxygen within the drum.
in her first public statement regardingโ the incident, the accused told the courtโ she acted out ofโค fear and shock. She described experiencingโค strong abdominal โcramps followed by blood and the โฃdelivery โคof โtheโ child, who she stated did not move and hadโค no discernible pulse.โ “I didn’t know thatโ I was โฃpregnant,” she saeid.
prosecutors allege theโ partner was unaware a baby โฃwas inโ theโ washing machine, โฃwhile the mother is accused of believing โhe would start the โmachineโ regardless.
The judge questioned the consistency of her account, stating, “All of โthis does notโข fit together. your child hadn’t had much chance to leave relevant traces in this world.”
The trial is scheduled forโ four sessions, โwithโ a verdict expected by early โขOctober.โ If convicted of โmanslaughter, theโ woman faces up toโฃ five โขyears in prison. In more severe cases, a life sentence is possible.
