Ex-wife fatally stabbed in Berlin street, receiving life sentence in murder case enacted - Berlin woman fatally stabbed on public highway results in conviction for murder
In a shocking turn of events, a man from Berlin has had his life sentence for the murder of his ex-wife upheld by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in 2025. The man, who had previously been convicted for attacking and threatening his ex-wife, took her life in a brutal attack in broad daylight in 2024.
The tragic incident unfolded on a busy Berlin street, where the man, unable to cope with the end of their relationship, approached his ex-wife and launched an unprovoked attack. He knocked her down and repeatedly struck her, before stabbing her three times in the chest with a knife, resulting in fatal injuries.
The presiding judge, Wolfgang Dobrikat, stated that the man saw his ex-wife becoming increasingly independent as a severe injury to his honour. The regional court found the man's guilt to be particularly severe due to multiple violations of restraining orders and insulting the victim during the attack.
The regional court convicted the man of murder, and the life sentence was upheld by the Federal Court of Justice. The man appealed to the court to review the verdict, but no legal errors were found. The act was characterised as a "public execution driven by an absolute desire to destroy." The man even claimed it was his right to kill the woman.
The 36-year-old ex-wife in the case separated in 2020 and divorced in 2022. The father of their four children, the man had a history of violence towards his ex-wife, with the first conviction for attacking and threatening her coming before their separation.
The case was heard in Karlsruhe, and the finding of particularly severe guilt virtually rules out early release on parole after 15 years. The tragic event serves as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of domestic violence, and the importance of respecting the independence and autonomy of all individuals.
