Bavarian Woman Smothers Eight Babies
In the quaint little German town of Wallenfels, Bavaria, eight tiny baby corpses were found wrapped up in plastic bags in November of 2015. Since 2003, Andrea G. has been smothering to death each baby that grew within her womb. Today in BBC the headline read: “German baby deaths: Mother admits deaths of eight newborns.”
Bavarian Brady Bunch
Andrea G. married a man some number of years ago. They brought with them children from pre-existing relationships, and together they went on the have three more children. It was a Bavarian Brady Bunch. However, the pregnancies continued…and continued, and the idyllic family dream turned into a murderous nightmare.
Related: Hinterkaifeck Unsolved Murders
After already having a number of children together, Andrea and her husband wanted no more. So they discussed abortion with the next pregnancy, however, they disagreed and fought about it. Andrea and her husband decided at some point to take the lives of any future babies she would have. Each time she got pregnant she carried the baby until birth. She would have her baby in the kitchen, quickly wrap it up in a towel and place it in a plastic bag. She then hid the baby somewhere in the house. More incredible is that even after Andrea smothered the first baby, they continued to have unprotected sex. Murder appeared to be the answer.
Wallenfels Shocked at German Baby Deaths
Eventually, they separated and both move out of the house they had been living in together with their children. The dead babies were found left behind in the house, and a woman reported the bodies to the police. The whole town was in disbelief about the tragedy.
“Andrea G’s lawyer told a court in Coburg that she had wrapped the babies up in towels and hidden them whether they showed signs of life or not.” They believe she probably gave birth in her kitchen. Her husband claims that he was not present for the births and killing of the babies, but he knew that Andrea was smothering them. He is being charged with “complicity,” because he basically allowed the murders to happen and did nothing to stop them.
Four Babies Too Decomposed for Charges
Andrea is only being charged with four of the eight deaths. The bodies of the other four babies were too decomposed to determine whether or not they were actually alive at birth.
The court has not yet made a determination about Andrea, although it has gone to trial. They must determine what type of frame of mind she was in at the times of the killings, and whether or not they can hold her criminally responsible. Perhaps she was insane. Or perhaps just depraved. The German baby deaths would shock the world, and it would go down in the books as one of the worst infanticide cases.
Tragic Ending
In the end, whatever happens to Andrea and her husband, justice will be served. But, justice can never give back the lives of the eight babies who may have grown up to become postal workers or nurses, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers. And with the finality of their cruel and inhumane deaths, their brief lives are condensed into newspaper reports and the sad stories we tell.
Sources:
BBC 1