Update: The article has been updated to clarify that the birth took place ten minutes prior to the tragic incident
and not ten months as previously published
In a case deemed one of the most heinous crimes committed by a mother
has been convicted of manslaughter by the Heilbronn District Court
Jovanovic was found guilty of throwing her infant child from an upper-floor window
The motive behind Jovanovic's actions was reportedly her fear that motherhood would jeopardise her professional career as a lawyer for a prestigious car brand
she had secretly given birth at home on 12 September
Jovanovic allegedly dropped her baby daughter from her apartment window
causing the infant to fall nearly 12 feet onto the pavement below
Passersby discovered the infant's body under Jovanovic's balcony
The minutes-old baby had sustained fatal injuries
The police were alerted immediately. According to ASB Zeitung (via DailyMail)
Jovanovic admitted to the crime at the beginning of the trial in April but could not explain the details of the incident to the court
Jovanovic claimed she had not realised she was pregnant
prosecutors countered this by accusing her of murder
suggesting she had deliberately hidden the pregnancy from colleagues and neighbours
They argued that Jovanovic believed motherhood would derail her career as a legal executive at Porsche
Public prosecutor Mareike Hafendoerfer elaborated: "The accused was not prepared to put her life plans
That was her decision when the baby was born
the criteria for a murder conviction are fulfilled."
arguing that the incident was a tragic accident
Hoech claimed Jovanovic was unaware of her pregnancy and overwhelmed by the sudden birth
He maintained that she dropped the baby unintentionally and emphasised the need to determine how the infant ended up by the window
Despite the defence's argument of accidental death
the court ultimately convicted Jovanovic of manslaughter
She received a sentence of seven and a half years in prison
This decision starkly contrasts a case from February involving a Chinese couple
The couple was sentenced to death for deliberately throwing their two young children out of a high-rise apartment window
Jovanovic's legal team has expressed their intention to appeal the verdict
This tragic case has sparked discussions about the pressures faced by working mothers and the importance of mental health support
Neighbours told local media they had no idea Jovanovic was expecting a baby
Recently she had changed and was no longer talking to us
We thought she was stressed at work," one neighbour said
The Jovanovic case raises complex questions about ambition
It is a stark reminder of the tragic consequences that can unfold when desperation overshadows reason
It is no secret that career pressures can sometimes lead to desperate actions. A recent case involving Tyrese Haspil is a chilling example
Haspil's motive appears to have been to silence his employer and avoid getting caught for theft
Summer Raemason
A MUM has been jailed after killing her newborn daughter by throwing the infant out a window because she 'thought a baby would ruin her career'
Katarina Jovanovic, 28, was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years after being convicted of manslaughter.
The top lawyer for Porsche, from Lauffen am Neckar, Baden-Wuerttemberg State, Germany
faced a judge at the Heilbronn District Court on Wednesday
Jovanovic secretly gave birth at home on September 12 2023 before hurling the baby from her flat window
fell almost four meters into the road below and suffered a shattered skull
Traumatised passersby found her shortly after the horror unfolded and cops raced to the scene
They told the court she deliberately kept her pregnancy a secret from colleagues and neighbours.
Public prosecutor Mareike Hafendoerfer said: "The accused was not prepared to put her life plans, especially her professional advancement, on hold for a child.
"That was her decision when the baby was born, and as a result, the criteria for a murder conviction are fulfilled."
They argued she had not realised she had been pregnant
said: "It is a drama that affects me personally
My client did not even know that she was pregnant
"When she suddenly held the bloody baby in her hands
she was in an exceptional psychological situation
How the child ended up over the windowsill remains to be determined."
The court accepted the manslaughter charge and Jovanovic was jailed for seven-and-a-half years
Her lawyers claim they plan to appeal the verdict after fighting for a sentence of just three years
Neighbours previously told local media they did not realise Jovanovic was pregnant
One said: "Nobody noticed that the woman was pregnant
"We thought she was stressed at work."
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