The Mannheim District Court in southwestern Germany is currently host to one of the most shocking murder and kidnapping trials in recent memory. Ina Oksana-Judith, born in Kazakhstan, and her husband, Marco Otto, are on trial, accused of the murder of two Ukrainian refugee women, Marina Stetsenko, 51, and her daughter Margarita, 27, in March 2024. The charges against them include joint treacherous murder and child abduction, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine.
The trial follows a grim series of events in which the German couple allegedly acted on their long-harbored unfulfilled desire to have a daughter by targeting the young Ukrainian mother and her five-week-old baby. The devastating crime was detailed in an extensive investigation that linked them to the gruesome double murder and the abduction of Margarita's infant child, Mia.
A critical point in the investigation was reached when the police discovered Margarita's body at the Rhine dam, two weeks after she vanished from a refugee accommodation center in Wiesloch. Her mother, Marina, was found after police divers searched a nearby lake. Both victims showed signs of violent deaths, having been struck on the head with a blunt object, as stated by Stern.
The couple confessed to the murders, with Marco and Oksana-Judith reportedly expressing deep remorse during trial proceedings. “I regret everything I have done,” confessed Marco, while his wife added, “I made a big mistake,” according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine.
Through their confessions, the couple revealed a meticulously planned operation to kidnap a newborn. After multiple miscarriages and failed fertility treatments, they sought a child to raise as their own. According to Deutsche Welle, they specifically targeted Margarita and her infant due to Margarita's vulnerable status as a refugee.
After establishing contact with the Ukrainian mother via a Telegram group for refugees, Oksana-Judith posed as a translator offering assistance to lure the victims. The couple invited the victims for a meal under the guise of a celebration, only to sedate and subsequently murder them. Once sedated, Marco confessed to using a rubber hammer to strike them at a lake, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine.
After committing the murders, Oksana-Judith and Marco took the baby girl and attempted to assimilate her into their family. They reportedly went so far as to obtain a birth certificate for the child under a different name. However, Mia was eventually recovered by authorities after the couple's arrest and has since been placed in the care of her aunt, who now acts as a plaintiff in the case.
The prosecution has organized nine hearing days, aiming to conclude the trial by the end of February 2024, with a possible verdict expected on February 21, as reported by Deutsche Welle. The prosecution's demand for punishment will be announced in due course, potentially seeking life imprisonment sentences for the couple.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.