Tuesday March 28, 2006
GRAZ, Austria — A woman accused of killing her five children — including
two who were still alive when she put them into a freezer — pleaded guilty in
Austria to four counts of murder at the start of her trial Tuesday. The woman denied killing a fifth child shortly after its birth, despite
testimony by neighbours of an additional pregnancy. Meanwhile, her male companion, charged with killing four of the children,
pleaded not guilty to all charges. Both were charged in June after police discovered the bodies of two newborns
in a basement freezer of an apartment complex in southern Austria. The remains
of two more were entombed in paint buckets filled with cement. Autopsies indicated that the two infants found in the freezer were still
alive when put inside, wrapped in plastic bags. "I feel guilty of killing my four children," said the 33-year-old
woman who, according to Austrian custom, was not named. The woman’s companion, 39, has insisted he was unaware of the pregnancies
and played no role in either the slayings or the disposal of the bodies, but
authorities say they do not believe it was possible because of the number of
births. The two lived together for eight years. A homicide conviction usually carries a minimum 10-year prison sentence in
Austria. The maximum penalty is 25 years. Prosecutor Johannes Winklhofer, in opening comments quoted by the Austria
Press Agency, described the killings as "actions carried out with cold
single-mindedness, and characterized the mother’s companion as "a
murderer just like her." The trial was adjourned until today.