Mother in dock for deaths

FAMILY members of a German mother accused of killing nine of her newborn babies testified yesterday that their suspicions that she was pregnant were met with denials.

Sabine Hilschinz, arrested after the remains were found last July in flower pots and a fish tank in her parents’ back yard, has been standing trial in state court since last week.

A sister, identified only as Jutta J, told the court in Frankfurt An Der Oder (eastern Germany) she suspected Hilschinz was pregnant about 10 or 15 years ago. But when she confronted her sister about it, she said Ms Hilschinz replied, “No, for god’s sake.”

Ms Hilschinz, 40, faces eight counts of manslaughter for the deaths, believed to have taken place between 1988 and 1998.

She could be jailed for up to 15 years if convicted.

Frank Koenig, a nephew of Hilschinz, said he recalled the family discussing the possible pregnancies with her, but when she denied them, they accepted her story.

Mr Koenig also described how a friend of the family had initially found some of the children’s remains in the garage.

The trial continues today.