A 42-year-old mother was sentenced to a 17-month conditional prison term for kidnapping her 5-year-old son and hiding with him in Bavaria for nearly a month. The court found her guilty of qualified kidnapping, noting the real victims were the boy and his father. Despite the serious circumstances, the judge refrained from issuing a deportation order, emphasizing that the mother was not a danger to the public. All involved have the right to appeal the ruling.
Mother Sentenced for Kidnapping Her Son
A 42-year-old mother was sentenced for abducting her 5-year-old son during the autumn of 2021. The mother and child went into hiding for nearly a month with an individual known as a Reich citizen in Bavaria. The Dorneck-Thierstein SO District Court has imposed a conditional prison sentence of 17 months on her, alongside a conditional fine for qualified kidnapping and related offenses. Interestingly, she was not issued a deportation order.
Court Findings and Sentencing Details
In this case, the defendants attempted to present themselves as victims, which was highlighted by the court president during the verdict announcement. The real victims in this scenario were identified as the young boy and his father. The court found the mother and her two accomplices guilty of qualified kidnapping and other charges.
The mother, as the primary offender, received a 17-month conditional prison sentence, while her accomplices were handed conditional sentences of 14 months and 10 months, respectively. All three individuals were also subjected to conditional fines, with all sentences linked to a probationary period of two years.
Three years ago, the mother, originally from Germany, took her son to Germany without returning him to the custody of his father in the canton of Solothurn after the autumn holidays. The boy was reported missing and was found a month later in Bavaria after extensive police efforts.
Authorities rescued the child from the residence of Maximilian Eder, a known Reich citizen and conspiracy theorist. Fortunately, the boy was returned safely to his father in the Solothurn region.
The mother claimed she sought refuge with the Reich citizen out of fear for her son’s safety, believing in Eder’s unfounded tales about secret societies involved in child abuse and satanic rituals.
The judge emphasized that there is no evidence supporting her claims of abuse, stating, “There is no justification for her behavior.” The father, rather than being a perpetrator, was portrayed as a victim of the mother’s actions, which compromised the child’s well-being for multiple reasons.
During the time of the abduction, the boy was unable to contact his father and endured poor living conditions, lacking basic necessities such as water and heat for several days, which led to him contracting scabies.
Despite the gravity of the situation, the judge opted against imposing a more severe, unconditional prison sentence and a deportation order. The complexities of the relationship between the mother and the father, who holds custody, seemed to play a role in the court’s decision. The judge noted, “She was overwhelmed by the situation.”
The court concluded that the mother does not represent a danger to the general public, which contributed to the decision against a deportation order. Additionally, her son, who she is still permitted to visit, continues to reside in Switzerland.
The ruling is not yet final, and all parties retain the right to appeal the decision to the Solothurn Higher Court.