German woman killed four of her babies at home

A 45-year-old German woman has been found guilty of the manslaughter of four of her newborn babies. Their bodies were found at her apartment in a Bavarian town.

Eight babies’ bodies were found last year at the apartment in the town of Wallenfels, but prosecutors concentrated their case on proving her involvement in the death of four.

The Coburg state court yesterday sentenced the woman, whose name was not released, to 14 years in prison. The father, who had been charged as an accessory, was acquitted.

Wallenfels has 3,000 inhabitants and is in a rural area of northeastern Bavaria.

The remains of the four newborns were discovered wrapped in towels and plastic bags. The killings took place between 2003 and 2013 and the bodies were discovered following a police tip-off from a neighbour.

Presiding judge, Christoph Gillot, said: “When a case like this is tried, you suddenly have a lot of people who know what the right thing to do is — that a supposed ‘horror mother’ should be locked away forever.

“But we first must try to understand this behaviour. That doesn’t mean justifying it, but rather trying to comprehend it.”

The mother gave birth to all eight babies at home and wrapped them up in towels and then suffocated them.