- Soldier under trial for alleged sequence of multiple homicides, reminiscent of military justice system.
Organizing a series of killings, the soldier reportedly operated like a military strategy. Primary objective: deceiving the new spouse and the closest friend of his wife. Secondary objective: eliminating the parents of the new spouse. In the barracks, he prepared his weapons, armed himself with Molotov cocktails and a smoke bomb. At night, he infiltrated the abodes of the victims, executing them one by one, much like in a door-to-door attack. Four lives were lost. This is the stark beginning of the trial at Verden Regional Court, as the prosecutor accuses the German national of committing homicides for selfish reasons.
The accused maintains silence
With his head held high, the defendant walks into Verden's town hall, now turned into a courtroom. His hair neatly styled, unapologetically facing the cameras. Upon the arrival of the judges, he stands to attention. When asked about his personal details, he simply responds "Correct" without uttering a word about the accusations against him.
On the trial's opening day, only the prosecutor barrages the court with the indictment, a concise version of the 50-plus pages. For ten minutes, she narrates the supposed actions of the paratrooper. She speaks of "marital complications" due to the defendant's distance and absence due to his military duties. He perceived those in his wife's circle as the cause of the marriage's failure: his wife's best friend, her new spouse, and their parents. He sought revenge upon them and desired to prevent them from having contact with his son.
Homicide rooted in possessive desire - partner as the true victim
In what experts call "surrogate femicide," the perpetrator punishes his partner by killing those close to her, explains Johanna Wiest, refuge for domestic and sexualized violence at Terre de Femmes. The woman serves as the actual victim, yet she lives to endure the ordeal. "Surrogate femicides are a particularly crafty form of psychological violence against the ex-partner." Typically, there are claims of possession based on a patriarchal viewpoint. "The breakup is experienced by the perpetrator as a loss of control, which he responds to with the most drastic form of control and power - the annihilation of one or more lives."
As per statistics from the Federal Criminal Police Office, 155 women fell victim to their partner or ex-partner in Germany last year. There are no figures for surrogate femicides, since no data is collected on the matter. There are only research project findings backed by the European Union's funding: According to FEM-UNITED Comparative Report, in 12% of femicides registered in Germany, other individuals were also killed, like children or new partners.
Acting like a door-to-door operation: Soldier believed he could surprise victims asleep
As the prosecutor noted, the armed forces-trained paratrooper prepared himself like an operation for this mission. He crafted Molotov cocktails from four champagne bottles and gasoline, and equipped himself with a semi-automatic pistol, a self-loading rifle, ammunition, and a crowbar. He then ventured to catch his victims off guard while they slept.
According to the indictment, the then-32-year-old initially infiltrated a single-family home in Scheeßel, the residence shared by his wife's new partner, his six-year-old son, and his parents. There, he reportedly assassinated the 55-year-old mother with two shots to the back of her head. The 30-year-old son, awakened by the noise, attempted to flee, but the defendant allegedly terminated his life with over ten shots.
He then proceeded to the dwelling of his wife's best friend in the neighboring municipality of Bothel. According to the prosecutor, he forced open the bathroom window with a crowbar and fired five indiscriminate shots. The 33-year-old mother raced into her three-year-old daughter's room in a panic, attempting to shield the sleeping child while deterring the soldier from his plan - unsuccessfully. The defendant purportedly executed the mother and her child with 14 shots from close range.
The accused faces a substantial prison term
Following the massacre, the defendant supposedly traveled to a lake in Rotenburg an der Wümme, where he and his wife had once met. He allegedly discarded his weapons and indulged in four bottles of beer. Later, he surrendered himself at the barracks in Rotenburg.
From the outset, it is evident that the defendant faces a lengthy prison sentence. Already, the presiding judge hints at the possibility of special circumstances surrounding the guilt. The prosecutor also considers applying preventive detention, which would extend the suspect's incarceration even after serving his sentence. The trial concludes in 35 days, with a verdict expected by the end of March.
The defense lawyer argues that the soldier's actions were driven by extreme desperation and other personal issues, not solely motivated by revenge.
Despite claiming innocence, the defendant's actions, including the meticulous planning and execution of the killings, have been labeled as other forms of domestic violence, beyond just homicide.
