Mom fired seven shots at daughter's killer in front of packed courtroom after he confessed
Niamh Shackleton
Featured Image Credit: Mim Mehmet Karaman/YouTube/Trevor James Robert Dallen/Fairfax Media via Getty Images
A mother shot her daughter's killer while he was on trial for her murder.
Marianne Bachmeier's daughter Anna, 7, was found dead on May 5, 1980.
Klaus Grabowski admitted to the murder of Anna, and went on to be tried for his crimes.
He was arrested after his fiancé called the police and he confessed to having murdered the young girl.
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As well as killing her, it is also unclear whether Grabowski sexually assaulted Anna.
He denied this, however, but the then 35-year-old held a previous criminal record for child molestation.
While he was standing trial, German-born Machmeier didn't think jail was enough of a punishment for her daughter's killer and ultimately took matters into her own hands.
It began on March 4, 1981, and, just three days in, Bachmeier went to the courtroom in possession of a .22-caliber Beretta pistol and fired eight shots - six bullets of which hit Grabowski.
Witnesses at the scene claimed they heard the mother saying she 'wanted to kill' the butcher by shooting him 'in the face', with two policeman claiming they'd heard Bachmeier call Grabowski a 'pig' too.
After being shot six times, Grabowski died on the courtroom floor and Bachmeier subsequently faced trial for his murder.
Soon becoming known as Germany's 'Revenge Mother', Bachmeier's act of retribution was heavily debated, many questioning whether or not she was justified in killing her seven-year-old daughter's murderer and possible sexual assaulter.
It was also debated in the eyes of the law as to whether the mother was guilty of manslaughter or murder based on whether or not the shooting was premeditated or not.
However, in 1983, Bachmeier was convicted of premeditated manslaughter and received a six year sentence, although the mother only served half her sentence before being released.
While her actions were unlawful, many other parents have since empathized with Bachmeier's actions.
A clip of a reconstruction of Bachmeier's act of revenge in the courtroom resurfaced on YouTube on December 26, 2022, sparking one person to comment: "As a mom of 3 and grandma to 4, it would take a miracle for me to not have wanted to do the same as her."
"We would've all done the same," another wrote.
A third commented: "This is an iconic mother who went through so much pain and suffering all her life just like her little daughter.. more people need to know about her."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.