A Luxembourg prosecutor has requested a 25-year sentence for a woman accused of fatally assaulting her husband in 2022, citing the attack as brutal, while her defence argues her schizophrenia affected her perception and intent.
The prosecutor has requested a 25-year prison sentence, largely without parole, for the woman accused of fatally assaulting her husband with a hammer in Heispelt on 13 February 2022. She allegedly struck her husband with a hammer while he was watching TV, then dragged him into an unheated basement where he likely survived for at least 24 hours before succumbing. The prosecutor, in his closing statement, described the act as exceptionally brutal and callous. After allegedly leaving her husband to die in the basement, the woman reportedly continued with her daily life for weeks, until the police became aware of the situation.
A central issue during the trial was her mental health, as she suffers from schizophrenia. On the final day of the trial, the court examined her level of responsibility as she claimed she was unmedicated at the time and did not intend to kill her husband, who she said had frequently threatened her with a knife and constantly subjected her to verbal abuse. Tearfully, she expressed that she had felt unwell and isolated, saying he made me sick, "even though I was born healthy". She expressed frustration, saying that where she was, no one spoke to her or took her seriously. Her words became increasingly unclear, and she began to cry.
Her lawyer pointed to her mental illness, arguing that it blurred the line between her perceptions and potential hallucinations, making it challenging to determine her grasp on reality. He referenced incidents such as the alleged knife threat and her claim that her husband, a severe alcoholic, repeatedly insulted her, though there were no witnesses to verify these accounts. He also noted her history of prolonged psychiatric treatment in Germany in 2017 and appealed for a fair sentence given the complex circumstances, suggesting that she be placed in a psychiatric facility rather than imprisoned.
The prosecutor, meanwhile, highlighted the findings of an expert psychiatrist, who determined that her mental condition might reduce her culpability but did not eliminate it. He observed that, to date, she had shown no apparent remorse for the crime.
The court’s verdict is scheduled for 16 January.
