Berlin Trial Probes Gruesome Family Murders as Defendant Claims Protective Motive

The accused, who confessed to killing his partner and daughters, is being evaluated for mental health concerns while the prosecution highlights the cruelty of the crimes.

The trial of a 37-year-old man accused of murdering his partner and two daughters in Berlin-Marzahn began in March 2025 at the Berlin Landgericht.
The defendant confessed to the killings, claiming he acted to protect his children from the world, not to cause them suffering.
The prosecution has emphasized the cruelty of the murders, which involved the use of a crossbow and a knife in October 2024.
The victims' bodies were discovered in their shared apartment on November 3, 2024, and the defendant was apprehended shortly afterward in Baden-Württemberg.
The court has ordered the defendant's preliminary placement in a psychiatric hospital following evaluations of his psychological state and potential danger to the public.