Overview
- An Innsbruck court found Kevin and Nathalie M. guilty of murdering their three-year-old son after months of abuse and imposed life sentences, with the mother ordered to psychiatric treatment.
- A court medical examiner testified that Elias died from starvation and dehydration and weighed about four kilograms at the time of death.
- Prosecutors presented chats and emails in which the parents reinforced a delusional belief that a demon inhabited the child, while the father monitored him with home cameras.
- Investigators said the parents isolated Elias and withheld food and fluids, yet his three sisters showed no signs of neglect and were later placed with foster families.
- Following the case, the Kinderschutzbund NRW highlighted strain on Jugendämter, citing 17,230 child-welfare endangerment findings in 2024 in NRW, including about 10,970 acute cases and ongoing staffing shortages.