- The judicial proceedings involving the fatal stabbing of a female victim.
A man suspected of slaying his spouse with over 60 stab wounds and lacerations admitted to the crime during the trial's opening in Frankfurt. "I'm sorry for taking your life, dear. I truly regret it," the 52-year-old said emotionlessly, casting glances towards his teenage son, seated as a counterclaimant on the other side of the courtroom. The deceased was his "deepest love," he declared, labeling her as a "remarkable individual."
The German-Iranian man stands accused of murdering his recently estranged partner in July 2023. The prosecution asserts the homicide was premeditated and fueled by low motivations. The accused allegedly harbored feelings of jealous control and adhered to a "conventional Iranian gender role."
Relationship plagued by domestic violence
The pair had been married for two decades and had three sons. They prospered in Frankfurt, owning a successful business, and both had obtained higher education. The wife held a Ph.D. in biochemistry, while the husband silently stated their financial stability. Their financial situation, he explained, permitted them to enroll their sons in an exclusive Bad Homburg school, embark on 10-day vacations costing 12,000 euros, and spend 3,000 euros monthly on organic food.
However, the marriage was shadows by domestic violence from the outset, he confessed. Once, approximately 15 years ago, he had inflicted damage to his wife's eardrum by striking her "playfully." He also had a history of physically abusing their sons, something he has regretted ever since.
In May 2023, the man is said to have attempted to sexually assault his wife and menaced her with the threats: "Beating isn't so bad. I can also kill you." One of their adolescent sons reached out to the emergency numbers, which resulted in the man being kept at bay by the court from approaching their shared home in Frankfurt and his wife. Reports suggest he did not comply.
Man ambushes wife in public park
On the day of the incident, the first Monday in July 2023, he is said to have attacked her in a park nearby their residence, subjecting her to harassment. The 40-year-old victim, who was walking with their infant, was terrified. When a bystander intervened, the man reportedly fled to his brother's apartment. The prosecution alleges this was the place where he decided to murder his wife.
He is said to have procured a knife and stolen a house key from one of his sons. Upon entering his wife's apartment building, he approached the baby in its crib, claiming he only wanted to "share a kiss" with the infant. An altercation erupted between the mother and him, as he demanded to read her diary and she admitted to an affair with another man.
The mother attempted to shield their nearly seven-month-old child from harm, the prosecution said. The man is said to have first assaulted her and subsequently stabbed her multiple times in the chest, neck, and face with the knife.
"Is my wife no longer breathing?"
After the woman collapsed, he is said to have contacted the emergency services and reported the incident. He then awaited their arrival in the living room, holding the infant in his embrace, and repeatedly inquired: "Is my wife no longer breathing?" She succumbed to her injuries at the scene, among other reasons, due to blood loss and a heart puncture.
The jury trial has yet to conclude, with hearings scheduled until late October.
The German-Iranian man's case is being handled by The Office of the Prosecutor, who argue that the murder was premeditated and fueled by jealousy and a desire for control. After the incident, The Office of the Prosecutor accused him of stealing a house key from one of his sons to enter his wife's apartment building.
