A court in southwestern Germany on Tuesday heard a shocking confession from a couple accused of killing a 27-year-old Ukrainian woman and her 51-year-old mother in a gruesome plot to steal the woman’s baby.
The couple, who had struggled with multiple miscarriages and failed fertility treatments, allegedly planned to kidnap the newborn and pass her off as their own.
What We Know About the Case
The Mannheim District Court was told that the victims, both refugees from Ukraine, were living in a shelter in Wiesloch when they came into contact with the couple. Prosecutors revealed that the defendants had specifically targeted refugees of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, having joined a Telegram group offering translation services.
The motive behind the crime, according to the public prosecutor’s office, was the couple’s unfulfilled desire to have a daughter. The pair, aged 43 and 44, already had four children, including a son. However, they longed for a daughter.
The tragedy began in February 2024, when the Ukrainian woman gave birth. The couple then decided to kill both her and her mother to take the newborn.
At the court’s opening, the defendants were not present in person, but their statements were read aloud by their lawyers. The husband expressed deep regret, saying, “I regret everything I have done. We really wanted to have a daughter together, that was my wife’s most fervent wish.” His wife also admitted guilt, saying, “I made a big mistake.”
How the Crime Allegedly Unfolded
In early March, the court heard, the couple invited the two women to a restaurant and secretly drugged them with sedatives. The 51-year-old woman soon fell ill, prompting the couple to suggest taking her to a hospital. Instead, they drove her to a lake, where the husband allegedly struck her multiple times on the head, killing her. They then disposed of her body by throwing it into the lake.
The couple told the younger woman that her mother had suffered a heart attack, and they drove her and the baby to a dam in Hockenheim. There, the man allegedly killed the new mother, who was also disoriented from the sedatives, by striking her on the head. Afterward, they set fire to her body before taking the baby home.
The remains of the younger victim were found shortly afterward, and her mother’s body was discovered by police divers two weeks later. The baby was found unharmed with the couple.
The couple has been charged with two counts of murder and child abduction. They were taken into custody immediately.
The court has scheduled nine days of hearings, which will continue until the end of February.
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