Rostock murder trial: Gina H. admits alibi agreement with acquaintance
On the 26th day of trial in the murder case of eight-year-old Fabian, three children testified that they saw the boy on the day of his disappearance. Gina H. meanwhile supplemented her statement and explained her mobile phone behaviour during meetings with Christian D.
Child witnesses bring no turning point in Fabian murder trial
On the 26th day of trial in the murder case before the Rostock regional court, three children testified that they saw eight-year-old Fabian on the day of his disappearance. This briefly raised the question of whether the boy could have lived longer than previously assumed. However, the statements did not bring a decisive turning point in the proceedings, as BILD reported from the scene.
The defence of defendant Gina H. (30) assessed the statements of the two ten-year-old boys as credible. Public prosecutor Oliver Schley saw it differently: the temporal classification by the witnesses was "inconsistent", he explained in a statement. The two may have "plausibly observed such a situation" – but on Thursday, which was consistent with the previous findings of the main hearing. In the case of a twelve-year-old girl as the third witness, Schley identified "considerable discrepancies": at the police station she had spoken of a man, in court of two men. At that time she had stated that the man had touched Fabian – she now denied this when asked.
Gina H.'s defence attorney Andreas Ohm countered. Lawyers were known for "interpreting facts in such a way that they fit the overall picture". Regarding the two boys, he said: "They were evidently concerned to tell the truth here, and said when they could not remember." The core statement that they had seen Fabian on 10 October 2025 at that time was "very convincing".
Alibi agreement and mobile phone data in focus
Parallel to the witness statements, Gina H. supplemented her already 95-page statement with additional pages. In doing so, she commented again on her excessive mobile phone use and her choice of car park on the day of Fabian's disappearance.
Mobile phone data plays a central role in the question of a possible alibi. It concerns whether the paths of Gina H. and her acquaintance Christian D. crossed as early as 9 October 2025 – one day before the act. Additionally, it is disputed where Gina H. was at the time the body was set alight. In both cases, she states that she was together with Christian D.
However, the investigators conclude a different sequence of events from the mobile phone activity. The intensive use of the mobile phones and the message exchange between the two were valued by them as evidence that the meetings could have already ended.
Via her lawyer, Gina H. stated: "We also did not talk to each other the whole time, it was only important to us to spend time together." They had also frequently sent messages back and forth "even though we were sitting directly next to each other". When asked, she herself added: "I already said in my statement that I am practically addicted to using my mobile phone. When meeting with others, I regularly used my mobile phone." This also applied to meetings with Christian D.
Voice messages about funeral read out
During the course of the trial day, voice messages between Gina H. and Matthias R. were also read out. On 20 October 2025, the two exchanged messages about the fact that the press was at their location and they therefore could not see each other. "It would simply be nice if we could see each other," Gina H. said in one of these messages.
On 21 October 2025, Matthias R. sent a voice message: "Somewhere you have to conserve your strength. I still have many difficult tasks ahead of me, the funeral, the memorial service, etc." Gina H. replied: "I definitely won't come, even though I would like to. I'm not going to put myself on the pillory. […] You're not alone, you don't need me anyway, the way it's always been. You don't actually need me at all. I was never as important to you as you were to me." Matthias R. subsequently stated that the funeral was to take place "only in the family circle". Later, Gina H. showed annoyance that he did not tell her the exact date.
Next hearing with questioning of the defendant
Judge Holger Schütt closed the 26th day of trial at 12.08 p.m. The main hearing will continue next Thursday. This date is awaited with anticipation: Gina H. will then face questioning by the court for the first time.
Source: BILD