The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) rejected the appeal filed by a defendant who had been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Braunschweig Regional Court for the murder of his wife.
The BGH announced this decision on Wednesday. The accused had set fire to his wife while she was asleep, using gasoline, because he falsely accused her of extramarital relationships. She awoke, jumped out of the bedroom window while burning, and fell four meters. She remained burning, conscious, and screaming in pain for several minutes. He eventually managed to attract attention, allowing the fire to be extinguished by the intervention of their son and a third party. She endured immense pain and died a few hours later from her burn injuries.
The Braunschweig Regional Court had determined that the characteristics of murder-including treacherousness, cruelty, and dangerous means-were present, and it found that the defendant deserved an especially severe penalty. According to the BGH’s comprehensive review of the ruling, no legal errors were found to be against his interests.
The verdict from January 9, 2026, is now legally binding (as per the decision of August 4, 2026 – 6 StR 261/26).
