Mother Sentenced to Prison for Manslaughter After Throwing Newborn from Window

 A mother has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for killing her newborn daughter by throwing her out of a window to avoid impacting her career, as reported in court.

Katarina Jovanovic, 28, a prominent lawyer for Porsche from Lauffen am Neckar in Baden-Wuerttemberg State, Germany, was convicted of manslaughter. She appeared before the Heilbronn District Court on Wednesday, July 3.

The court heard that Jovanovic secretly gave birth at home on September 12, 2023, and then threw the baby from her flat window. The newborn, just minutes old, fell nearly four meters to the road below, resulting in a shattered skull. Passersby, traumatized by the scene, found the infant shortly after the incident, and the police quickly arrived.

Prosecutors described how Jovanovic believed having a child would ruin her career as an executive in Porsche's legal department. They stated that she had kept her pregnancy a secret from her colleagues and neighbors.

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 defense team argued that she had accidentally dropped the baby after giving birth alone at home, claiming she was unaware of her pregnancy. Defense attorney Malte Hoech, 53, stated, "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 accepted the manslaughter charge, sentencing Jovanovic to seven and a half years in prison. Her lawyers announced plans to appeal the verdict, having sought a sentence of just three years.

Neighbors, who were unaware of Jovanovic's pregnancy, expressed their surprise. One neighbor remarked, "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."