Rostock: Verdict expected in trial over dead boy Fabian
The Rostock Regional Court will announce its verdict on Tuesday in the murder case of eight-year-old Fabian. The prosecution is calling for life imprisonment for the defendant, whilst the defence is seeking an acquittal.
Rostock Regional Court announces verdict in Fabian case
According to NDR.de, the Third Criminal Chamber will deliver its decision on Tuesday in the murder trial of eight-year-old Fabian from Güstrow. The child is said to have been killed on 10 October 2025. The defendant is 30-year-old Gina H. from Reimershagen in Rostock district.
Over more than 30 trial days, the five judges and lay assessors have attempted to establish clarity on the charges. Presiding judge Holger Schütt is expected to spend several hours justifying his verdict. By law, at least four of the five judges and lay assessors must agree to a guilty verdict — how the vote turns out remains secret.
The prosecution accuses Gina H. of killing Fabian, the stepchild of her long-term partner, with six stab wounds to the chest. The child was said to have been at home alone because he was unable to attend kindergarten due to illness. According to the charges, Gina H. lured the boy from his mother's flat and killed him at a secluded pond near Klein Upahl. The motivation: revenge against Fabian's father for the separation eight weeks before the child's death, as well as the hope that the relationship could have a second chance if Fabian no longer existed.
The prosecutors describe their evidence as "irrefutable" — numerous circumstantial indications have formed a closed chain. They are calling for a life sentence and are requesting that the particular severity of guilt be established.
Gina H. denies the charges. She used her closing statement — the right of every defendant to speak last after the pleas — to vehemently assert her innocence. Her two defence lawyers argue that the chain of evidence has substantial gaps that the prosecution has filled with speculation and conjecture. Above all, however, Gina H. cannot be the perpetrator: two children saw Fabian in Güstrow at a time when, according to the prosecution, he should already have been dead. The defence lawyers are calling for an acquittal.
Since the start of proceedings at the end of April, the chamber has heard 75 witnesses and nine experts. The electronic main file comprises 19 volumes — if printed, that would be approximately 45,000 sheets of paper, according to court spokeswoman Anne Kruse. In addition there are 28 special volumes and various subsidiary files. The chamber had 3.6 terabytes of electronic evidence — primarily data from seized mobile phones.
Public interest in the case was enormous. The roughly 150 seats in the courtroom were frequently completely full. Several media outlets reported live-ticker coverage of every trial day. Numerous journalists are again expected in Rostock for the verdict announcement.
The verdict may not be the end of the case. Gina H. has announced that she will, if necessary, appeal to the Federal Court of Justice. Her defence lawyers would then apply for a retrial. The prosecution has also not yet stated whether it will appeal against a possible acquittal.
The trial has been observed and commented on nationwide since April. On Tuesday, the decision will be handed down.
Source: Die Zeit Kriminalität