Re-sentencing for German baby burier 04/04/2007 00:00

4 April 2007

Leipzig, Germany (dpa) - A German woman, who was convicted of manslaughter after she let eight of her newborn children die and buried the tiny bodies in planters, is to be re-sentenced, appeal judges ruled Wednesday.

The High Court in Leipzig said her guilt was not in doubt, but the trial judges ought to have considered exculpatory factors before applying the maximum 15-year sentence last year.

In one of the worst serial infanticides on record, Sabine H gave birth in seclusion and left the babies alone until they died of cold and lack of nourishment.

The tiny skeletons were found buried in the dried-out soil of containers for tomatoes and other plants in 2005 in the small town of Brieskow-Finkenheerd, leading to the arrest of H, who raised four other children.

A ninth body was found, but the baby's death was too long ago to prosecute. A new hearing must now be held at the trial court in the city of Frankfurt-an-der-Oder on the Polish border.

DPA

Subject: German news