A young woman who killed 5 of her own babies: A case of multiple neonaticide

• The phenomenon of neonaticide remains equivocal in the current forensic knowledge.
• Women who commit neonaticides do not show any major mental disorder in the majority of cases.
• Women who commit neonaticides have mostly not previously been convicted of violent offences.
• Women who commit neonaticides do not show the risk factors commonly associated with violent behaviour and high recidivism.

Neonaticide is a rare form of homicide. It is generally classed as manslaughter but differs from other forms of homicide in many respects. The factors favouring its occurrence and the legal position of neonaticide in Germany are discussed. The case is presented of a mother who committed five neonaticides within 8 years. While she was a caring mother for her two oldest children, she killed the five subsequent offspring immediately after giving birth. In the scarce literature on neonaticides, a case of multiple offending is particularly rare. Similarities to, and differences from, other cases of neonaticide in the literature are considered. The psychodynamic context of the offences is examined in order to identify contributing features which could be used to help prevent future occurrences.