In order to avoid a loss of reputation, a 34-year-old stabbed his pregnant girlfriend to death in Leverkusen. Before committing the crime, the victim wanted to tell the perpetrator’s family about her relationship and pregnancy. The Cologne Regional Court has now announced the surprising verdict.
Now the verdict is in – in what is probably one of the worst cases in Cologne and the surrounding area in recent years.
The 34-year-old, who killed his then pregnant girlfriend and her unborn baby in October 2023, was sentenced to twelve years in prison by the Cologne Regional Court on Monday (June 17, 2024). The verdict was for manslaughter, not murder. The 21st Grand Criminal Division did not consider the murder characteristic of treachery to be fulfilled.
The case had touched the entire region in 2023: On October 27th at around 8:30 p.m., the expectant mother (†35) was on her way to an apartment building in Leverkusen-Rheindorf, where the defendant lived with his mother, among others. She had previously announced the visit to him in a chat: she wanted to tell his mother about her relationship and pregnancy.
According to the prosecution, the accused had kept this secret from his Muslim family. He is said to have feared a loss of reputation due to an illegitimate child and therefore decided to kill the woman, who was four months pregnant, and the fetus.
He is said to have pocketed a kitchen knife with a wooden handle and a 14-centimeter-long blade and ambushed the 35-year-old in front of the house.
There, an argument broke out during which he allegedly ripped the cell phone out of her hand. Then the situation shifted towards a turning circle.
There, the accused allegedly stabbed the 35-year-old several times with the intent to kill her. The pregnant woman suffered at least ten stab wounds and cuts, particularly in the stomach area. Any help came too late for her and the child in her womb.
The case before the Cologne Regional Court had been ongoing since April 2024, and the two police officers who were the first to arrive at the crime scene had also testified as witnesses.
An officer (30) from the Cologne police found the accused sitting on the sidewalk. “He was apathetic, staring straight ahead with a blank expression,” he said in the witness stand. He also never asked about the woman’s condition. “We found that surprising too.” Instead, he is said to have claimed that the woman had cheated on him.
At the start of the trial, the mother and sister of the murdered woman created a particularly emotional atmosphere in the case by holding a photo of their daughter and sister in front of the cameras in court.
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The original of this article “Man (34) stabs pregnant girlfriend (†35) to death – and gets away with manslaughter” comes from Express.de.
