Русская версияA Swedish court has ruled that a German woman, charged with beating
two small children to death, should undergo a psychological
evaluation.
Christine S., a student from Hamburg is also accused of
attempting to murder the children's mother.
"Convincing evidence has been presented to show [the accused] is
guilty of murder and attempted murder in accordance with the
charges," the Vaestmanland court, west of Stockholm said in a
statement, according to the AFP news agency.
"In order to determine if there are medical grounds to sentence
[the defendant] to penal psychiatric care ... or if she committed
the acts while affected by serious mental illness, the court orders
a psychiatric evaluation of (her)," it added.
Motivated by jealousy
The 32-year-old defendant stands charged with "using a hammer or a
hammer-like object" to bludgeon to death a 3- year-old boy and his
1-year-old sister on March 17 in the small Swedish town of Arboga,
and attempting to kill their 23-year-old mother, Emma Jangestig.
Prosecutor Freida Gummesson told the court that jealousy was the
motive, according to German news agency dpa. Jangestig is the
live-in companion of a man S. once dated.
The prosecution argued during the trial that the defendant. "had
not got over the split from (him), still had feelings for (him) and
was hurt that (he) was living as a family with Emma Jangestig and
her children.
The accused denied all wrongdoing during the trial, which has
dominated headlines in Sweden and Germany since its start on July
30. She told the court she had been in Arboga at the time of the
murders to visit archaeological sites. Legal experts said the
outcome of the trial remained open, noting that there was no DNA
evidence linking the accused.
The court on Tuesday said there was a risk that S. would flee, and
therefore ordered her continued detention until a verdict is given.
No date has yet been set for the verdict, but a court clerk told
AFP that it would probably take several days or a week.
(Deutsche Welle)
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