- The case against a former midwife for stillbirth is under review
A former midwife is challenging a verdict from the Regional Court of Verden again, following a stillbirth. The defense filed an appeal even after the second trial ended, as announced by the Regional Court. This court had sentenced the defendant on Tuesday to three and a half years in prison, among other charges, for bodily harm resulting in death through negligence, with six months already served.
Home birth continued despite complications
The court believes that the 62-year-old continued a home birth in Siedenburg (Diepholz district) despite the mother and child deteriorating. The 2015 birth, according to the indictment, was not continuously monitored. Additionally, the defendant did not adequately inform the parents about the risks of a home birth. After several days, the high-risk patient finally went to the Vechta hospital and gave birth to a stillborn girl.
At the time of the birth, the defendant's midwife license had already been revoked. However, the license was not initially withdrawn because the woman had filed a lawsuit, as a spokesperson for the Regional Court of Verden stated. The defendant has not had a midwife license since 2017.
Legal dispute continues
The Regional Court had previously sentenced the defendant in November 2022 to four years in prison for manslaughter through negligence. The former midwife from the Hannover region filed an appeal against the verdict. The Federal Court of Justice decided that the case must be retried.
In the second trial, the court found the former midwife guilty again. The prosecution had demanded a one-year and eleven-month prison sentence, which could have been suspended. The defense pleaded for acquittal, and the co-plaintiff demanded four years in prison for manslaughter through negligence. The midwife does not accept the new verdict and continues to challenge it.
The former midwife's continued challenge to the verdict highlights the ongoing controversy surrounding the crime of negligence associated with the stillbirth case. Despite serving six months in prison for bodily harm resulting in death through negligence, the defendant continues to dispute the verdict from the Regional Court.
