Jury convicts mother in Nickelsdorf newborn death
Friday 23rd October 2026 on 06:45 in
Austria
A jury has convicted a woman who was 17 at the time of her newborn’s death, while acquitting four of her relatives, in a case heard in court on Thursday, ORF reported. The verdicts are not legally binding.
The jury found the now 18-year-old guilty by an eight-to-zero vote. Her sister, brother-in-law, brother and mother were acquitted by the same margin of charges of involvement in the killing. All five had pleaded not guilty.
The baby was found dead on 18 January 2026 behind a transformer station at the Nickelsdorf border crossing. An autopsy found that the girl could have survived and lived for at least several minutes after birth. The cause of death was a traumatic brain injury.
Prosecutors alleged that the young woman strangled and struck the baby after giving birth. They also alleged that her relatives knew what had happened, kept watch and helped remove evidence, but the court found that their involvement had not been proved.
Surveillance footage showed the family’s van stopping at a rest area on 17 January during a journey from Romania to Germany. Shortly after 10pm, the then 17-year-old got out carrying a bag and walked towards the transformer station. The footage also showed the other family members near the vehicle, including as they disposed of a bloodied mattress. They told the court they thought the blood was from the young woman’s period and said she had not told them she was pregnant.
The woman said she gave birth alone in the van and believed the baby was stillborn. She said the child slipped from her hands as she put it down, causing the head injuries. A medical expert said a fall alone would not explain the injuries, which suggested the baby had been struck against a hard object. A psychiatric expert said it was plausible that the woman had denied and repressed the pregnancy; the young woman was also alleged to have been sexually abused in the past.
The trial lasted nearly 16 hours. Before the verdict, the 22-year-old second defendant collapsed after closing arguments and was treated by paramedics. She was present when the verdicts were delivered. The prosecution made no statement on the verdicts. An older man seen in the van with the defendants has not yet been identified.