Güstrow murder case: defence files appeal against life sentence for 30-year-old woman

The appeal

The defence has filed an appeal on points of law (Revision) against the life sentence handed down by the Rostock regional court (Landgericht Rostock). Lawyer Andreas Ohm told the German Press Agency that the filing was made on Wednesday, 11 November, one day after the verdict. The step had been announced beforehand, and the court confirmed that it had received the appeal. The filing means the verdict is not yet final.

The verdict

On Tuesday, 10 November, the 3rd Grand Criminal Chamber convicted the 30-year-old woman of treacherous murder committed from base motives and sentenced her to life imprisonment. The court also determined the particular gravity of her guilt. If the judgment becomes final, early release after 15 years would be practically ruled out. Throughout the trial, which has been running since late April, she repeatedly and vehemently asserted her innocence. Presiding judge Holger Schütt addressed her directly in the reasoning and said the court had no doubt that she committed the act.

“It is completely clear and beyond doubt, unambiguous and established that you committed the act.”

What the court found

According to the verdict, the defendant lured the eight-year-old boy from his mother's flat in Güstrow. She then stabbed him at a pond roughly 15 kilometres south of his home and set the body alight. The killing took place in October 2025. The court found that she regarded the boy as an obstacle to a new relationship with his father, who had ended their relationship a few weeks before the crime. The body was found four days after the boy went missing.

Timeline

The key dates in the case run from the killing in October 2025 to the appeal filed on 11 November 2026. The trial began at the end of April. The court delivered its verdict on Tuesday, 10 November, and the defence filed the appeal the following day. The chart below lists these milestones in order.

What happens next

The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe will now examine the judgment. The grounds for the appeal must be submitted in writing within one month of the written judgment being served. The court will not retake the evidence. Instead, it checks whether the procedure and the verdict contain legal errors.