A mother has been sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in jail after fatally injuring her newborn daughter by throwing her out of a window, reportedly fearing that having a baby would jeopardize her career, a court heard.
Katarina Jovanovic, 28, a senior lawyer at Porsche from Lauffen am Neckar, Baden-Wuerttemberg State, Germany, faced judgment at the Heilbronn District Court on Wednesday, July 3rd.
According to court proceedings, Jovanovic gave birth in secret at home on September 12, 2023, and then threw the infant from her apartment window.
The newborn, just minutes old, fell nearly four meters to the ground below, suffering a fatal head injury. Shocked bystanders discovered the baby shortly afterward, prompting a swift police response.
Prosecutors outlined in court how Jovanovic harbored concerns that having a child would disrupt her career as an executive in Porsche’s legal department. She deliberately concealed her pregnancy from colleagues and neighbors, leading up to the tragic event.
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.”
Jovanovic’s lawyers claimed their client had accidentally dropped the baby after giving birth alone at home. They argued she had not realised she had been pregnant.
Defence attorney Malte Hoech, 53, 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. It was an accident, she dropped the baby. How the child ended up over the windowsill remains to be determined.”
The court upheld the manslaughter conviction, resulting in Jovanovic being sentenced to seven-and-a-half years in prison.
Her legal team intends to appeal the verdict, having argued for a reduced sentence of three years.
Neighbors had previously told local media that they were unaware of Jovanovic’s pregnancy.
One said: “Nobody noticed that the woman was pregnant. Recently she had changed and was no longer talking to us. We thought she was stressed at work.”
