60-year-old man stands trial for murder of daughter-in-law
Published: Wednesday, Dec 11th 2024, 05:40
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A 60-year-old man is to stand trial for murder today, Wednesday, at the criminal court in Muttenz BL. The accused is said to have stabbed and killed his daughter-in-law four and a half years ago with "particular ruthlessness".
According to the indictment issued by the public prosecutor's office in Basel, the crime took place on the morning of June 20 in Pratteln BL. The now 60-year-old Kosovar is alleged to have killed his 24-year-old daughter-in-law in his apartment with numerous stab wounds. The indictment is for murder. The crime was characterized by "particularly reprehensible motives" and "particular ruthlessness".
According to the indictment, the homicide was preceded by differences with the daughter-in-law, who had married the defendant's son in Kosovo in July 2015 in a double wedding with his brother. A few months later, she moved to Pratteln and gave birth to a son in October 2016.
The marriage was characterized by difficulties, writes the public prosecutor's office. There had been repeated arguments and domestic violence. The parents-in-law of the deceased had exerted a strong influence on the couple.
Defendant saw his family "in disarray"
The 24-year-old woman wanted to separate from her husband. The father-in-law was looking for ways to get rid of her and keep his grandson in the event of a separation. He had also considered killing his daughter-in-law, according to the report. The family members had literally incited each other against the daughter-in-law.
According to the indictment, the daughter-in-law asked her father-in-law for advice and help on June 20 at around 11:30 a.m. because she could no longer talk to her husband and he had beaten her the day before in front of their son.
The daughter-in-law said that the family was not doing anything and that she would have to go to the police. The defendant accused his daughter-in-law of "upsetting his family".
Police arrested him without resistance
According to the indictment, the mood changed in the course of the conversation; the defendant sent his grandson and his wife out of the apartment and locked the door.
He had fetched an arming knife from the kitchen and stabbed his daughter-in-law numerous times. The daughter-in-law screamed for several minutes and died of an air embolism caused by the stab wounds.
Shortly after the crime, the accused was arrested in his apartment with the knife in his hand without resistance. He told the police officers, who had been alerted by neighbors, that he had killed his daughter-in-law "calmly and calmly".
The 60-year-old was remanded in custody for over a year and a half and has been serving an early sentence since March 2022. The trial before the Basel criminal court is scheduled to last three days. The verdict is to be announced on Monday afternoon. The presumption of innocence applies.
©Keystone/SDA
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