Saxony-Anhalt in Germany Dead twin babies found - mother in custody

Police find two dead babies in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. The mother is the focus of the investigation. The 29-year-old woman has been remanded in custody.

DPA

19.11.2024, 19:55

19.11.2024, 20:20

dpa

Two dead babies have been found in Wittenberg in Germany. The mother suspected of the crime has been provisionally arrested, according to the public prosecutor's office and the police. The 29-year-old woman is being investigated on suspicion of homicide by omission.

The twins were discovered on Monday. Following a tip-off from a witness, the police visited the accused's home in the evening. The bodies of two babies were found during the search, it was reported.

The girls were viable at birth

The 29-year-old had reportedly been taken to hospital by the emergency services a few hours earlier. There it was discovered that she had previously been pregnant and that the pregnancy was already at an advanced stage.

Initial investigations into the cause of death were carried out on Tuesday. The bodies were examined in Halle. "The forensic examination revealed that the two twin girls were viable at the time of birth."

Judge orders pre-trial detention

The public prosecutor's office in Dessau-Rosslau applied for the 29-year-old's arrest on Tuesday. After she was brought before the responsible magistrate at Wittenberg district court, the judge ordered her to be remanded in custody. The mother, a German national according to the police, was taken to a correctional facility.

Lutherstadt Wittenberg is located in the east of Saxony-Anhalt and has a population of around 48,000.