Germany: Mother the sole suspect after 5 children found dead in Solingen apartment

Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia have filed 5 murder charges and an arrest warrant against a 27-year-old woman who is currently receiving medical attention after jumping in front of a train. The mother of six was not yet ready for arrest or questioning on Friday afternoon. 

“Five children from Solingen have died in a tragically awful manner,” the leader of the police investigation, Robert Gereci, said at a press conference in Solingen. “Police found five children dead in an apartment in a large house.” 

Gereci confirmed the identities and ages of the three girls aged 1,2 and 3, and the two boys aged 6 and 8. Police and medical officials believe the children died in the night between Wednesday and Thursday. 

The head of the homicide panel investigating the case, Marcel Maierhofer, said that the autopsies of the children all indicated evidence of suffocation and of sedation.

The mother’s eldest child, an 11-year-old boy, went to school as normal on Thursday morning. The mother later phoned the call saying she wanted to take him out of school, citing a death in the family. She took him to Dusseldorf station, where she jumped in front of a train, seemingly “with suicidal intent,” Maierhofer said.

Investigators also said they were investigating the possibility that her separation from her husband, around one year earlier, might have played a part in the case. They said that from the point of view of the prosecution as it stood, there was no evidence yet of circumstances during the coronavirus having exacerbated matters.

Relatively recently separated

Four of the children were from the mother’s most recent marriage and two from an earlier relationship. Neither father was considered a suspect at the time, investigators said. 

Investigators also said they were looking into the possibility that her separation from her husband, around one year earlier, might have played a part in the case. They said that from the point of view of the prosecution as it stood, there was no evidence yet of circumstances during the coronavirus having exacerbated matters.

Professor Stefan Röpke from the Charite told DW that such cases of so-called extended suicide were more common in men but not unheard of in women. 

“There can be cases where people simply completely lose their grasp on reality, with a severe psychological condition or even a psychotic break. These people might say, I must kill them to save them. Or they might wish to take their own lives and then ask themselves who will then care for their kids,” Röpke said. “In a case of extended suicide the crime isn’t really even targeting the children as such, instead the individual often just wants to take their own lives and to leave a clean slate, so to speak.”

The family lived in a housing complex in Solingen, where neighbors gathered to discuss the tragic events

State premier pledges thorough investigation

The leading politician in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Christian Democrat Armin Laschet, said on Friday morning that “our authorities will do everything to bring clarity to the case.”

He also expressed sympathy for survivors and those affected.

“This makes you set aside the daily grind and think about the truly important things in life,” Laschet said.

Germany’s Family Minister Franziska Giffey said the case left her sad, angry, and in disbelief. 

‘Now it’s time to wait for the police’s investigations and to see if there had been indications of problems within the family,” she said, warning against jumping to conclusions.

Cologne’s Catholic Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki said he had prayed for the victims at a morning Mass. “It’s an inconceivable act, that cuts deep in the heart,” Woelki said. “You’re ultimately speechless.”

If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-mother-the-sole-suspect-after-5-children-found-dead-in-solingen-apartment/a-54814975?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf