Father Sentenced to 13 Years for Injecting Mercury into 1-Year-Old Daughter's Foot
The man's ex-girlfriend was sentenced to 12 years in prison for her role in the crime
Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images
30-year-old man shown in handcuffs at Hanover District CourtA German man has been sentenced to 13 years in prison for injecting mercury into his infant daughter's foot.
The 30-year-old man and his then-girlfriend — who was sentenced to 12 years for taking part in the crime — knew that the poison would not immediately kill the child and wanted to cause pain, according to the indictment cited by German outlets such as The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, WELT, and the news agency dpa (per the Associated Press). (The identities of the man and his girlfriend have not been released in accordance with Germany's privacy policy.)
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported that the father, who was from the town of Springe, and his fellow defendant initially denied the charges of attempted murder, which they both were eventually sentenced for on April 10 in front of a court in Hannover.
Julian Stratenschulte/picture alliance via Getty Images
The man and woman shown in Hanover district court in April 2024The defendants also later admitted that on July 24, 2023, they injected the mercury into the child's left foot and right ankle.
According to the AP, citing the dpa, the man wanted to get revenge on his daughter's mother after she left him following the child's birth.
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The child's lawyer said that long-term effects of the mercury include paralysis, speech disorders and cognitive impairments, per WELT, and argued that the dad apologized with "empty words."
“It is sheer contempt for an innocent life,” the attorney said in a translated quote.
The child reportedly ended up with a severe rash on her body and an infection. The poison was found during the third of multiple surgeries she had to undergo.
The man and his ex-girlfriend can still appeal the ruling, according to the AP.
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