DistantNews
Support us
Fabian murder trial: Defendant says she will answer questions soon
🇩🇪 Germany /Crime & Justice

Fabian murder trial: Defendant says she will answer questions soon

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire Named sources In the courts
  • The 30-year-old defendant in the murder trial over the death of eight-year-old Fabian plans to answer questions on September 10 after previously declining to respond.
  • Her lawyer said questioning would be “very, very strenuous,” and the presiding judge promised breaks or an additional hearing day if necessary.
  • A prison psychologist testified that the defendant maintains her innocence and faces hostility and threats from other inmates.

After reading a 95-page statement without answering follow-up questions, the defendant in the Fabian murder trial now says she is ready to face questions in court.

Her lawyer, Thomas Löcker, announced the change on the 25th day of proceedings. He cautioned that the questioning would be “very, very strenuous” for his client and doubted she could endure the full-day sessions used for some witnesses. The court has scheduled the questioning for September 10.

ready to answer questions

— Thomas LöckerThe defense lawyer said the defendant would respond to questions in the ongoing trial.

Presiding judge Holger Schütt said the announcement had surprised the chamber but promised to accommodate the defendant’s condition. The hearing could be interrupted when necessary, or continued on an additional day. Löcker had previously said he was sure she would not last five minutes, citing her emotional instability after an earlier hearing.

very, very strenuous

— Thomas LöckerHe described the expected questioning and its effect on his client.

The defendant denies the allegations. Prosecutors accuse her of stabbing eight-year-old Fabian on October 10, 2025, at a pond about 15 kilometers south of Güstrow. The alleged motive concerns her relationship with Fabian’s father and the temporary end of that relationship.

A psychologist from the prison where the defendant has been held in pretrial detention since early November 2025 also testified. She said the defendant repeatedly claimed she was innocent and complained that people wanted to “pin something on her.” The psychologist described her as generally well behaved and active in cooking, baking, games and sport, though she also reported hostility and threats from other inmates.

pin something on her

— Defendant, as reported by the prison psychologistThe psychologist said the defendant used this phrase while maintaining her innocence.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog