Two deaths within a few days in Vienna-Favorites: the suspects? Both times they were mothers of only 29 years old. After the death of a four-year-old child in a community building, the following tragedy occurred on Thursday: the mother allegedly threw her daughter into a waste container and eventually gave the information about the location herself. What remains: bewilderment.
It is a depressing image that appears in front of the clinic in Vienna-Favoriten. The area in front of the hospital has been cordoned off for 11 car lengths and investigators are still busy collecting evidence from the crime scene hours after the shocking discovery on Friday. The innocent-looking green-yellow waste containers on Kundratstrasse in front of the building become the focus of the researchers. On Thursday they became the scene of an almost unbelievable act.
Baby was only ten days old
The daughter was only ten days old and her 29-year-old mother is under strong suspicion of murder, it was announced on Friday. The baby disappeared from the hospital’s neonatal unit shortly before noon on Thursday. A nurse noticed this and raised the alarm.
A large-scale search at night, including dogs and a drone, initially yielded no findings. First, a sniffer dog raised the alarm at a garbage bin on the hospital grounds – but this turned out to be a false alarm. There was still no sign of the little one. The search was called off Thursday evening, with plans to continue the next morning.
The 29-year-old mother herself provided information about the location
Suspicion quickly focused on the baby’s family environment. The Vienna Health Association (WIGEV) pointed out on Thursday that there was no free access to the department. The suspicion of murder was confirmed when the Austrian woman was questioned on Friday evening. She eventually confessed to the crime and led investigators herself to the dumpster where she had thrown her 10-day-old daughter, wrapped in a plastic bag and blanket.
The little one must have eventually frozen to death – snow was expected on Friday and an icy wind whistled through the streets of Vienna. Autopsy results are still pending; the cause of death should become clear in the coming days. “We are shocked by what happened. Our employees, who actively supported the police in the search, are all deeply affected. If necessary, you will receive psychological support,” says the clinic’s medical director, Michaela Riegler-Keil.
About two hours after the body was found, State Criminal Investigation Department investigators were still investigating. The researchers tend to rule out the possibility that Section 79 – killing a child at birth – is a possibility. The paragraph reads: “A mother who kills the child during birth or while it is still under the influence of the birthing process shall be punished with imprisonment from six months to five years.”
Four-year-old boy stabbed five days earlier
Less than three kilometers from the crime scene, a similar sad fate had occurred five days earlier: in a Viennese community building on a sunny Sunday morning, a father called 911. 44-year-old neighbor Klaudija discovered the crying man in the stairwell – with bloody clothes. “I don’t know if I can continue living here,” she said shortly after the terrible crime.
The 29-year-old mother allegedly stabbed her four-year-old son with a knife and then attempted suicide. She survived, was taken to hospital and has been in custody since. The small casket was then carried out of the house, flanked by WEGA officials. The crying neighbors cannot believe the crime, they hoped that it was an accident, that their children had ‘played together more often’ and that the alleged mother, according to witnesses, ‘often gave parenting tips’. The shocking detail: she works as a kindergarten teacher.
Both women are probably mentally ill
What remains are questions, many questions. What would motivate mothers to commit such an act? In the case of the baby who was thrown into the container, the 29-year-old suspect has been in an exceptional psychological situation since birth. That much is certain at this point. It is currently unclear whether the young woman received therapeutic treatment beforehand. Further details about the crime are currently under investigation. Were there signs? The researchers will also have to clarify this first.
Even with Sunday’s horrific crime, investigators are only revealing a little information due to the sensitive situation. But here too it became known shortly afterwards: the mother also suffered from psychological problems. She would have sought psychological help earlier.
In both cases, the birth mothers face the gruesome suspicion of cruelly ending the lives of their own children. Both mothers only recently started a family at a very young age. These tragedies leave deep marks: compassion for the grieving family members, dismay at the fate of the supposedly mentally ill women and sadness for the loss of two young lives. Baffled as to how it could have come to this. There is probably no detail that provides comfort. The presumption of innocence applies to both mothers.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
