Parents in court

Shaken baby syndrome: “Mother did not help the little girl”

The little girl needed emergency surgery.(Bild: Todos los derechos reservados)

Unfortunately, this terrible injury occurs time and time again: shaken baby syndrome. In Vienna's Landl district, the case concerns a little girl who almost succumbed to her serious injuries in May. Both parents are sitting in front of the jury. The father is alleged to have shaken the little girl twice – while the mother stood by and watched. Out of fear, the 38-year-old insists. 

The little girl was just two months old when she had to undergo emergency surgery at Vienna General Hospital. The doctors' diagnosis: severe shaken baby syndrome. The baby barely survived. Both of the child's parents are now sitting before a jury in the Landl court – on charges of attempted murder. 

Met her "dream man" in prison
The prosecutor paints a picture of a highly problematic relationship between the parents: the couple met in 2024 on a dating app. While the 33-year-old was in prison. "I visited him and I fell in love. At first, he really presented himself as a dream man," says the accused woman. At the time, the German man, who had seven previous convictions, was in prison for, among other things, continued violence against an ex-girlfriend. The 38-year-old woman did not know this...

The little girl was born into this violent relationship.

Staatsanwältin im Wiener Landl

Both parents are on trial. The father is being brought before the court from prison.(Bild: Martin A. Jöchl)

But she soon experienced this firsthand. "He slapped her. He started punching her," said the prosecutor. Even when the Viennese woman became pregnant—which was desired by both of them—the abuse reportedly did not stop. "So the little girl was born into this violent relationship. And he didn't stop at violence against his own daughter," said the prosecutor.

Multiple rib fractures – old and new
What happened between March 29, the baby's birth, and May 28, the day she was admitted to the hospital, can be gleaned from the injury report filed at the hospital. The girl suffered subdural hemorrhages, cerebral edema, and multiple rib fractures. Old and new, an indication of previous abuse. According to the indictment, the 33-year-old defendant attempted murder.

And the mother? "She did not come to the little girl's aid. The defendant is also a trained nurse. As a mother, she had a special obligation to help her daughter," said the prosecutor, explaining the charge of attempted murder by omission.

Child's mother: "He has a very short fuse."
In front of the jury, both are now pointing fingers at each other. The 38-year-old woman cries incessantly, describing a relationship in which she was manipulated and lied to from the very first second. There was not a week without excessive violence. "He has a very short fuse," explains the nurse. Nevertheless, she wanted to have a child with the man, who had a serious criminal record. "He then said I wasn't allowed to change her diapers. And I wasn't allowed to push the stroller. He said I was too stupid. He took my child away from me."

Baby allegedly fell from the changing table
The 33-year-old, however, tells a completely different story, claiming to have changed completely since his last prison sentence. According to his defense attorney, he admits to one accident: the little girl once fell off the changing table unintentionally. However, according to medical reports, this would in no way explain the injuries. In any case, the German man claims he did not shake his child. Incriminating: a psychiatric report attests that the man has a dissocial personality disorder with a high propensity for violence.

A second hearing is needed – adjourned. Both parents face life imprisonment. The father also faces placement in a forensic therapeutic center.