Mother Kills Her 5 Children After Seeing Photo Of Her Husband With New Partner

A mother of six in Germany was sentenced to life in prison Thursday for killing her 5 children after she saw her husband's photo with a new partner.

The deceased children were aged between 18 months to 8 years old. Her eldest child, who was 11 years old at that time, wasn't killed because he was at his grandmother's home when the murders took place, Star Tribune reported.

After killing the children, the woman attempted to kill herself by jumping before a moving train but escaped without life-threatening injuries.

The bodies of Melina, Leonie, Sophie, Timo, and Luca were found wrapped in blankets and placed on their beds at an apartment in the city of Solingen, in September 2020. During the woman's sentencing in the regional court in Wuppertal, prosecutors said she first sedated the children and then either drowned or suffocated them, Euronews reported.

Investigators believe the mother, who was identified as Christiane K., 28, became angered after receiving a picture of her former partner with his new lover. The woman had reportedly written back to the man that he would never see his children again, according to Star Tribune.

The woman had claimed at her trial that an unknown person broke into her apartment, tied her up, and killed her children.

Judge Jochen Kötter referred to the killings as a "tragedy." Considering the gravity of the crime, the court sentenced the woman to life in prison which means she will be able to apply for parole 15 years into her sentence.

The woman's attorney argued in favor of her acquaintance due to a lack of evidence while the defense recommended a manslaughter conviction, at least 8 years in prison, and psychiatric treatment. An expert obtained by the court found the woman wasn't suffering from a mental illness and that she had a narcissistic personality, DW.com reported. The brutal crime shocked the entire nation.