Eight-Year-Olds Killed

“The little ones were always singing and dancing”

There is deep mourning in Kumberg, Styria.(Bild: Krone-Collage/Christian Jauschowetz)

Shock and deep grief in Kumberg, Styria: A 37-year-old man stabbed a girl with a kitchen knife; she died in the hospital. No one can explain why this act of madness occurred.

“You only ever see things like this on TV—the fact that it happened right here in our town is simply inconceivable.” By “right here in our town,” Deputy Mayor Alexandra Pirker means the picturesque town of Kumberg, a market town located 15 kilometers northeast of the state capital Graz, nestled in the rolling hills of eastern Styria. A church, cafés, a library, 4,000 residents: Here, in this rural idyll, everyone knows everyone else. Acts of violence? “We don’t normally have that around here,” say three men drinking coffee in the town square.

Father Allegedly Killed Eight-Year-Old
But nothing is “normal” this Tuesday morning in Kumberg—because the night before, a local girl, just eight years old, lost her young life in a horrific manner. Her own father is alleged to have killed the schoolgirl!

Deputy Mayor Alexandra Pirker told the “Krone”: “Everyone is in shock.”(Bild: Christian Jauschowetz)

Deep cuts
According to police, the horrific crime took place late Monday evening, around 10:45 p.m., in a residential building on Hauptstraße that is currently undergoing renovation. Investigators say the 37-year-old man from Styria attacked his young daughter with a kitchen knife, inflicting deep cuts on her. Afterward, the man reportedly attempted to take his own life in the bathroom. According to police, an emergency call was first received by the Red Cross, which then alerted the police.

A Desperate Fight to Save the Child’s Life
Medicine vials and syringes on the sidewalk bear witness to the desperate struggle that the emergency doctor and paramedics waged to save the severely injured girl. Unfortunately, their efforts were in vain; the 8-year-old died shortly afterward at the hospital.

When Parents Kill Their Children: The Most Shocking Cases

She was considered a loner, was 35 years old—and shot her three children, her own brother, her grandmother, and even the dog before taking her own life. It is cases like this one, which took place in 2016 in Böheimkirchen, Lower Austria, that cause deep shock far beyond the state’s borders. For here, the depths of human nature are laid bare.

Just as three years earlier, when early one morning—it was May—a father of two walked into his children’s school in St. Pölten and killed his own son (7) with a shot to the head. The perpetrator apparently committed this shocking murder to take revenge on his wife, who had filed for divorce just three days earlier.

No less tragic is the case of a woman, then 36 years old, who in July 2023 drowned her two daughters—aged 7 and 7 months—in the pool of a neat residential neighborhood in the district of Tulln (Lower Austria). The home surveillance system captured the children’s death throes. The motive for this act of madness: massive credit card debt.

A headline from the more recent past also left people stunned! In January of this year, a horrific murder took place in Styria: Police were called to a residence in Leoben, where they found a boy lifeless. The 39-year-old mother is alleged to have slit her son’s (11) throat. After the crime, she also inflicted injuries on herself, but she survived.

Family members were at home during the attack
At the time of the knife attack, several people were inside the small building, which appeared dilapidated from the outside, including the child’s mother. Two families who had moved here about ten years ago were living under one roof—the alleged perpetrator and his twin brother, their wives, and a total of five young children.

“They were so cheerful; they played in the yard, sang, and danced”
“They were such a sweet, lovely family. I was their favorite neighbor; the little ones would wave at me as soon as they saw me,” a horrified neighbor told the “Krone.” “They were so cheerful—they played in the garden, sang, and danced. The fathers were really close to nature; they carved wooden horses for the children and took the girls and boys for rides in ladder wagons.” The twins had revived old traditions—“there were bonfires, and the children came over for the ‘Frisch-und-gsund-Schlagen’ ritual.”

Out and about in hats, lederhosen, and bare feet
The deputy mayor also confirms that the two families of academics were well integrated into local life: “I saw them when they came to the polling place on election day; they were always nice and funny.” Just a week ago, the twin brothers attended a festival with their partners and children—“as usual, they came wearing hats and lederhosen and were barefoot. They went shopping with a handcart.” Just last Tuesday, the suspect celebrated his birthday; one day later, the graduate engineer registered a business. Alexandra Pirker: “They never caused any trouble. We’re all in shock.”

Styria State Criminal Police Office is investigating
The 37-year-old father, who had inflicted cuts on himself and been treated at the hospital, is now being held at the police detention center. What drove him to commit this horrific act? Finding that out is the task of the homicide unit of the Styrian State Criminal Police Office; he will be questioned today. Meanwhile, all family members are receiving psychological support from counselors.

If you or someone close to you is experiencing a severe mental health crisis or is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please contact the telephone counseling service at 142. You can find additional crisis hotlines and emergency numbers HERE.