Gina H. to testify in Rostock court over October 2025 murder of eight-year-old Fabian
The Rostock District Court trial over the October 2025 murder of eight-year-old Fabian in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania is set to hear testimony from defendant Gina H. after months of silence.
Case background and disappearance
On Friday, 10 October 2025, Fabian's mother reported her eight-year-old son missing in Güstrow after returning home from work. Fabian had stayed home from school that day due to feeling unwell. Following an unsuccessful initial search by his mother, police initiated a multi-day search operation.
On 14 October 2025, the boy's burned body was found at a pond near Klein Upahl, approximately 15 kilometres south of Güstrow. Gina H., the former partner of Fabian's father, stated that she discovered the body while walking her dog with a friend. Investigators searched several properties, including her home, and arrested her on suspicion of murder. Prosecutors allege that she killed Fabian with six stab wounds, poured grill lighter fluid over the body, and set it on fire.
- Eight-year-old Fabian is reported missing from his home in Güstrow
- Fabian's burned body is discovered near a pond in Klein Upahl
- Trial of Gina H. begins at the Rostock District Court
Evidence presented in court
The trial at the Rostock District Court has been underway since April 2026. Gina H. is expected to testify after months of silence in the proceedings. Police had contacted her during the initial search operation because of her relationship with the victim, during which she presented an incomplete alibi that she allegedly coordinated with a neighbour beforehand.
Investigators also documented a voice message sent by Gina H. to an acquaintance while Fabian was still classified as missing, in which she referred to a burned body before that condition was known to the public. Technical analysis showed her mobile phone was switched off during the estimated time of the murder, in contrast to her regular near-continuous usage. The phone contained a selfie taken that Friday afternoon in a forest near the crime scene, while witnesses reported seeing her vehicle in Klein Upahl and near Fabian's home.
