Attempted murder of baby: child was badly abused - father did not bring emergency services

A man from Heringen (Hessen) is accused of attempted murder of a baby. The child was severely ill-treated. The parents were obviously overwhelmed. Trial in Fulda.

• Trial against a man from Heringen in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg in Hesse.
• He is  accused of attempted murder of his  baby .
• Severe abuse was found in the child.

Update from Wednesday, May 6th, 2020, 6:52 pm: An unplanned pregnancy and two young people who are hopelessly overwhelmed by life could be the background to what is currently considered to be an attempted murder of a baby in front of the jury court of the District Court of Fulda.

Attempted murder of a baby: ill-treatment was life-threatening

Prosecutor Natalia Fuchs is responsible for the life-threatening abuse of the three-month-old baby in the trial of attempted murder alone by the 33-year-old Heringer, in whose care the son was on September 18, 2015. However, the family circumstances also contributed to the fact that the accused had found himself in a situation that he was ultimately unable to cope with.

The child's mother, a 33-year-old housewife from Rotenburg, had suffered from postpartum depression after childbirth and could only care for the baby sporadically. In any case, she had previously been convinced that she would not be able to get pregnant and had therefore not used contraception.

Attempted murder of baby: father burdened by alcohol and drug addiction

So it was the father , himself burdened with alcohol and drugs , who got up at night to feed the child, who changed the diapers and took care of the son. To make matters worse, the already fragile relationship between the parents finally broke up in September 2015.

In the testimony of the 33-year-old in the trial of attempted murder of a baby, however, there was no mention of physical violence against the baby . She also attested to her ex-companion that he had accepted the role of father within his means. They were both very nervous because they didn't want to do anything wrong, said the witness.

Four days before the incident, due to a severe cold, she asked her mother-in-law to pick up the little one in the then apartment in Bebra . The 54-year-old took the child to her partner's apartment, where her son was now staying.

Attempted murder of baby: "He just slipped out of my arm"

How it happened in the bathroom on the night in question is so far unclear. The next morning, the baby's badly reddened head was noticed. The father was also in a state of disintegration and assured "I didn't want that." He wrote to his former girlfriend via WhatsApp: "Darling, I'm sorry. He just slipped out of my arm. "

The allegation of attempted murder is not explained by the immediate crime, but by the subsequent wrongdoing by the father. Despite the child's serious injuries, he had failed to call emergency services . Hours later, his mother informed the police and a guardian.

The process will continue on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, with the interrogation of doctors and police officers.

Attempted murder of baby: man is said to have mistreated his child - trial started

First report from Tuesday, May 5th, 2020, 6.35 a.m .: Attempted murder is accused of a 33-year-old man from Heringen (Hessen) , who from today has to answer to the jury court of the Fulda district court.

On September 18, 2015, the accused was said to have mistreated his three-month-old baby in such a way that he had to be hospitalized in Bad Hersfeld with life-threatening injuries.

Attempted murder of baby: father didn't call an ambulance after being abused

Because the father had failed to call an ambulance for his baby after the incident, from the Chamber's point of view he accepted the child's death with approval - legally, that would be an attempted murder . An omission is an offense that makes doing nothing a punishable offense. In contrast to the so-called on-site offense, you will be punished for not doing something. However, the prerequisite is that the person who has remained inactive must have had the opportunity to act.

A motive for the child's abuse is so far unclear. According to prosecutor Natalia Fuchs, the man from Heringen in Hesse immersed the baby in the bathroom with his face in the shower tray or in the sink in a maximum of 69 degrees hot water, causing severe scalding.

Attempted murder of baby: Infant with severe abuse and drugs in the blood

During the subsequent hospital stays in Bad Hersfeld and Kassel, it was also found that the baby had been administered amphetamines - a chemical drug - in a way that was previously incomprehensible. 

In addition, the 6th and 7th ribs were broken and there were hematomas on the buttocks and thighs. It has also not yet been determined when the infant was injured.

After attempted murder of baby: this punishment threatens the accused

In addition to the attempted murder  of the baby, the facts concern the allegations of ill-treatment of those under protection, the dangerous bodily harm and a violation of the Narcotics Act. If the father of the family is actually convicted of attempted murder, at most he will face life imprisonment as for the completed murder. 

However, the court can mitigate the sentence according to paragraph 23.2 of the Criminal Code, the framework would then be between three and 15 years. There are six months to ten years for the ill-treatment of those under protection.

Attempted murder of baby: trial begins - judgment to be delivered in late May

The trial for attempted murder  of a baby was originally supposed to take place before the junior magistrate's court in Bad Hersfeld, but was then handed over to the higher instance of the district court in Fulda. There, too, there was a change from the youth protection chamber to the 1st criminal chamber, which caused further delays.

On today's first day of the trial, only the charges against the Heringer are read out. Another five days of negotiations are scheduled, so that according to the planning so far, a judgment could be given at the end of this month.

By Karl Schönholtz

A double murder trial is currently taking place in Göttingen. A man attacked two women on the street. One died at the scene, another later in the hospital.

A woman was on trial in Bad Hersfeld for allegedly poisoning her baby. She was sentenced to a long prison term.