Murder trial Rostock: Child witnesses and mobile phone data in Fabian case
On the 26th day of proceedings in the murder trial of eight-year-old Fabian, three children testified. Defendant Gina H. also supplemented her statement with additional pages concerning mobile phone and alibi matters.
Three child witnesses, contradictory testimony: No turning point in murder trial over Fabian
On the 26th day of proceedings before the Rostock Regional Court, questioning of three children brought no decisive turning point in the murder trial over eight-year-old Fabian. This is reported by BILD, which is following the proceedings at the court.
Two ten-year-old boys testified that they had seen Fabian on the day of his disappearance – which temporarily raised the question of whether the eight-year-old might have lived longer than previously assumed. However, prosecutor Oliver Schley stated that the boys had observed the situation "plausibly", but "on Thursday" – which is consistent with the findings so far in the main trial. The temporal classification given by the witnesses had been "inconsistent".
In the case of the third witness, a twelve-year-old girl, Schley identified "substantial contradictions": she had previously told police about a man, but now testified in court of two men. When asked, she denied her earlier statement that the man had touched Fabian.
Defence considers testimony credible
By contrast, Gina H.'s lawyer Andreas Ohm assessed the testimony of the two boys as convincing. The basic statement that they had seen Fabian on 10 October 2025 at the relevant time had been "very convincing". The children had been "evidently endeavouring" to tell the truth and had indicated when they could not remember. Lawyers, according to Ohm, were known to "interpret facts in such a way that they fit the overall picture" – a remark clearly directed at the prosecution.
Gina H. supplements statement: mobile phone addiction and alibi
In addition to the witness testimony, the 30-year-old defendant supplemented her already 95-page statement with additional pages. In these, she commented again on her intensive mobile phone use and on her choice of parking space on the day of Fabian's disappearance.
"I have already said in my statement that I am virtually addicted to using my mobile phone," Gina H. stated through her lawyer. She had also regularly used her mobile telephone when meeting with others – including when meeting with her acquaintance Christian D. "We also did not talk to each other the whole time; it was just important to us to spend time together," she explained. Messages had been exchanged back and forth, "even though we were sitting right next to each other".
The mobile phone data are central to the question of a possible alibi. The issue is whether the paths of Gina H. and Christian D. might have crossed already on 9 October 2025 – a day before the act – and whether Gina H. was accompanied at the time the body was set on fire. She claims to have been together with Christian D. in both cases. However, investigators derive a different sequence of events from the mobile phone activity: the intensive use of the mobile telephones and the message exchange between the two could suggest that the meetings at the relevant times had already ended.
Voice messages after Fabian's death read out in court
In court, voice messages were also read out that Gina H. and Matthias R. – a person in the circle of the case – had exchanged shortly after Fabian's death. On 20 October 2025, both wrote about the press standing at their doors and a meeting therefore not being possible. "It would just be nice if we could see each other," Gina H. said in it.
On 21 October 2025, Matthias R. sent a voice message in which he wrote: "Somewhere you have to save your strength. I still have a lot of hard times ahead of me, the funeral, the memorial service, etc." Gina H. replied that she would not attend the funeral, even though she would like to. "I won't put myself on the pillory," she said, and added: "You don't really need me. I was never as important to you as you were to me." Matthias R. then pointed out that the funeral should "only be in the family circle". Gina H. was subsequently annoyed because he did not give her the exact date.
Next hearing day of particular significance
Judge Holger Schütt closed the 26th day of proceedings at 12.08 am. The trial will continue next Thursday – a date that is being paid particular attention: Gina H. will then face the court's direct questions for the first time.
Source: BILD