The Dresden public prosecutor has brought charges against a mother who threw her children off the balcony. The accusation: attempted manslaughter and serious bodily harm. The 36-year-old is addicted to drugs and may only have reduced criminal responsibility or is not criminally responsible.

In the summer of 2022, a woman is said to have intentionally dropped her two six-month-old babies from the balcony of her apartment on the first floor of an apartment building in western Dresden. According to information released on Friday, the public prosecutor’s office has now brought charges against her for attempted manslaughter and serious bodily harm. The 36-year-old was dependent on narcotics, at the time of the crime may have been less or less guilty and temporarily housed.

The mother is said to have lifted the twins over the balcony railing one after the other on the evening of June 13, 2022 and released them after a few seconds to kill them. The children fell almost five meters down, but survived with serious head injuries and fractures, were in mortal danger for a long time and underwent multiple operations. They are expected to be permanently impaired in their cognitive and motor development, as a spokesman for the public prosecutor said.

According to him, the woman jumped after the children and was also injured. Until shortly before that, she lived with her boyfriend, and the family was looked after by the youth welfare office. Her older son from a previous relationship lives with his father.