Gina H. has filed for an appeal against her life sentence for the murder of eight-year-old Fabian, challenging the Rostock Regional Court’s verdict delivered this past Tuesday.
The court found it “völlig klar” that H. killed the boy in October 2025 with six knife wounds and set his body on fire, while also establishing the particular severity of guilt.
The Landgericht Rostock announced on Thursday that defense lawyer Andreas Ohm filed the appeal, as reported by FAZ. During the highly publicized circumstantial trial, the 30-year-old defendant consistently denied all accusations and maintained her innocence. In her final statement before the verdict, Gina H. said, “Ich bin unschuldig, und ich habe Fabian nichts getan.”
She also called the motive identified by investigators “völliger Schwachsinn” and added, “Ich lasse mich nicht mein ganzes Leben lang wegsperren.” Prosecutors and the court viewed Fabian as a disruptive factor in H.’s relationship with the boy’s father, Matthias R., concluding that she acted out of jealousy with at least 44 pieces of circumstantial evidence pointing to her.
Defense attorneys had requested an acquittal. Following the verdict on Tuesday, defense lawyer Andreas Ohm said, “Ich habe nie gesagt, dass ich von ihrer Unschuld überzeugt bin, ich habe immer nur gesagt, ich bin nicht von ihrer Schuld überzeugt.” Ohm argued that the circumstantial evidence was insufficient for a conviction and said that interpretations by the prosecution and the court diverged widely on certain points, such as the timing of when H. allegedly decided to commit the crime.
With the appeal filed, the Federal Court of Justice will examine the judgment and the trial for legal errors based on the written verdict, which is expected to be available in a few months. If the Federal Court of Justice finds no errors, the judgment will become final, whereas a successful appeal can lead to a retrial.
