Leoben court sentences mother to life for killing 11-year-old son

A 40-year-old woman has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Leoben Regional Court for the murder of her 11-year-old son in January 2026. The defendant confessed to the killing, which involved multiple knife wounds to the child's neck and chest area.

During the trial, the woman claimed she was motivated by fear of a ‘satanic cult’ and reported hearing voices that warned her of a terrible future for her son. However, psychiatric and toxicological experts testified that she was sane and legally responsible at the time of the crime, noting no influence from drugs or alcohol.

Judge Roman Weiß stated that the sentence was a necessary response to such a ‘bestial’ act. The verdict is not yet legally binding.