A young woman in Germany secretly gives birth to a child and makes a momentous decision. Now the verdict has been announced.
Dec 17, 2025, 05:26Dec 17, 2025, 05:26
The Darmstadt regional court has sentenced a 21-year-old to four years and ten months in prison for killing her newborn with nail scissors. The young woman secretly gave birth to her child in December 2024 and, according to the court, killed it with 36 stitches shortly after birth.
However, the child’s father, the convicted woman’s 26-year-old friend, was acquitted. “This is a first-class acquittal,” emphasized the presiding judge. There was no proof that the man was guilty. The acquitted man stated that he did not know that his girlfriend was pregnant.
The 21-year-old explained in court that she could remember the birth and a lot of blood, but not the act with the nail scissors. Nevertheless, she admitted:
“I knew I had done something terrible.”
“Everything should continue as before”
The young woman, who still lived with her mother and was aiming for her high school diploma, had hidden the unplanned pregnancy. She stated that she had suppressed the pregnancy. The chamber didn’t believe that because the expectant mother had searched for many different pregnancy topics on the Internet.
The birth occurred in the bathroom in the morning while the defendant’s mother was at work and her boyfriend was still in bed. The presiding judge named the motive for the crime:
“Everything should continue as before, that was the dominant thought.”
The public prosecutor’s office had demanded seven and a half years in prison, the defense pleaded for two years probation. Both sides rated the crime as homicide. The verdict is not yet final. The plea deals took place behind closed doors to protect the woman’s privacy.
Sources used:
- With material from the dpa news agency