On Tuesday, a 35-year-old man appeared before the Luxembourg City court, accused of strangling his 71-year-old father to death on 26 December 2022 in Esch-sur-Alzette.
During the hearing, the defendant admitted being responsible for his father’s death when questioned about his identity and background. He expressed remorse and claimed he had not intended to kill his father, stating that he had placed him in a “headlock” during an argument to calm him down.
The forensic medical examiner confirmed that the cause of death was strangulation. The examination revealed a large clot in the victim’s head, along with signs of haemorrhage on the face, behind the ears, and in the neck muscles. The hyoid bone and laryngeal skeleton were also fractured. The examiner noted that death by strangulation typically requires applying pressure to the neck with the forearm for two to three minutes. However, the victim’s pre-existing heart and lung conditions may have shortened the time needed to cause fatal injury.
The court reviewed the defendant’s extensive criminal history. At 17, he was first detained at the Security Unit (UniSec) in Dreiborn and subsequently spent a total of ten years in prison. The accused claimed he had been on the right path after his most recent release, but this was partly contradicted by psychiatric and psychological experts.
The experts detailed a history of behavioural issues dating back to his childhood and adolescence. As a teenager, he frequently skipped school, consumed alcohol, and once brought an air rifle to school. After being placed in Dreiborn, he began two vocational training programmes but failed to complete either.
During this time, he was introduced to cannabis, having already experimented with alcohol. Following his release, the defendant was imprisoned in Schrassig for various offences, including brawls, assault, and driving without a licence. It was during this period that he began using cocaine and heroin. At the time of the fatal incident, he was undergoing methadone substitution therapy.
The psychiatrist testified that while the accused exhibits a dissocial personality and is prone to impulsive behaviour, these traits did not impair his judgment or his self-control. However, the expert described the accused’s relationship with his father as “difficult.” The accused confided to the psychiatrist that he struggled deeply with the death of his mother in the summer of 2022, with whom he had a close bond.
In contrast, his father was perceived as more critical. The psychologist referred to this dynamic as an “Oedipal situation,” a phase that, according to classical psychoanalysis, all children go through in their relationship with their father, in which they perceive the father as an adversary while idealising their mother.
On 26 December 2022, police were called to the victim’s home in Esch-sur-Alzette by emergency services. Upon arrival, the son and his girlfriend were present at the scene and the accused was visibly crying. However, the situation struck officers as unusual. The police initially suspected a botched burglary due to the disarray in the flat and the fact that they found the victim’s wallet still on his person.
Further investigation revealed text messages exchanged between the accused and his girlfriend from November 2022, approximately one month before the incident. In these messages, the accused discussed the need to “find a solution” for his father, writing ambiguously, “It’s the only thing I can do,” without elaborating further. Investigators also discovered that the accused had researched criminal penalties online, while his girlfriend had searched how police solve murders in January 2023.
The accused was eventually arrested in March 2023 at a hotel in Belval. During questioning, he admitted to the murder, citing a derogatory comment made by his father about his late mother as the motive. At the time, the 35-year-old told authorities, “I just wanted to calm him down.”
During the investigation, allegations emerged suggesting the accused may have been sexually abused by his father during childhood. However, the court noted that only the accused could confirm or deny this claim.
The accused’s lawyer, Christian Biewer, contended during the hearing that the act was not premeditated but rather the result of a heated argument. He added that his client disputes the claim that the strangulation lasted two to three minutes. Biewer concluded by stating that the next step will be to await the prosecution’s sentencing request.
