Mother sole suspect after 5 children found dead

Authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia have filed five murder charges and an arrest warrant against a 27-year-old woman who is currently receiving medical attention after jumping in front of a train. The mother of six was not yet ready for arrest or questioning on Friday afternoon. 

"Five children from Solingen have died in a tragically awful manner," the leader of the police investigation, Robert Gereci, said at a press conference in Solingen. "Police found five children dead in an apartment in a large house." 

Gereci confirmed the identities and ages of the three girls aged 1,2 and 3, and the two boys aged 6 and 8. Police and medical officials believe the children died in the night between Wednesday and Thursday. 

The head of the homicide panel investigating the case, Marcel Maierhofer, said that the autopsies of the children all indicated evidence of suffocation and of sedation.

The mother's eldest child, an 11-year-old boy, went to school as normal on Thursday morning. The mother later phoned the school saying she wanted to take him out of class, citing a death in the family. She took him to Düsseldorf station, where she jumped in front of a train, seemingly "with suicidal intent," Maierhofer said.

The children's grandmother, who lives in another city, alerted police to a possible crime around 2 p.m. (12 UTC) on Thursday, after the suspect had sent her mother WhatsApp messages saying that she was "in bad shape" and "could not go on," citing her recent separation from the 28-year-old father of her four youngest children. 

Read more: Solingen tragedy puts spotlight on welfare for teen moms in Germany

Investigators said they were investigating the possibility that her separation from her husband, around one year earlier, might have played a part in the case. They said that from the point of view of the prosecution as it stood, there was no evidence yet of circumstances during the coronavirus having exacerbated matters.

Family known to police

The family had already been registered with the city's youth welfare office and was known to police prior to the deaths of the children. The mother had earlier charged one of her former partners with theft, and investigators reported two recent rescue operations to the apartment, without offering further details. 

None of the three fathers was considered a suspect at the time, investigators said. 

Professor Stefan Röpke from the Charite told DW that such cases of so-called extended suicide were more common in men but not unheard of in women. 

"There can be cases where people simply completely lose their grasp on reality, with a severe psychological condition or even a psychotic break. These people might say, I must kill them to save them. Or they might wish to take their own lives and then ask themselves who will then care for their kids," Röpke said.

"In a case of extended suicide the crime isn't really even targeting the children as such, instead the individual often just wants to take their own lives and to leave a clean slate, so to speak."

State premier pledges thorough investigation

The state premier of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Christian Democrat Armin Laschet, said on Friday morning that "our authorities will do everything to bring clarity in the case."

He also expressed sympathy for survivors and those affected.

"This makes you set aside the daily grind and think about the truly important things in life," Laschet said.

Germany's Family Minister Franziska Giffey said the case left her sad, angry, and in disbelief. 

'Now it's time to wait for the police's investigations and to see if there had been indications of problems within the family," she said, warning against jumping to conclusions.

Cologne's Catholic Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki said he had prayed for the victims at a morning Mass. "It's an inconceivable act, that cuts deep in the heart," Woelki said. "You're ultimately speechless."

If you are suffering from serious emotional strain or suicidal thoughts, do not hesitate to seek professional help. You can find information on where to find such help, no matter where you live in the world, at this website: https://www.befrienders.org/