German father to remain in custody for fatal shaking of baby in The Hague hotel
A 41-year-old German father will remain in custody on suspicion of fatally shaking his baby in a hotel in The Hague last August. A recent autopsy report confirms that the three-month-old boy sustained fatal injuries caused by external force, according to the Public Prosecution Service (OM). 'This was no accident.'
The man and his wife had booked two rooms in a hotel in The Hague for a short vacation with their newborn twins. On August 5, the father was alone in one of the rooms with the baby when the incident occurred. The father is said to have previously confessed that he "shook" his son in an emotional conversation which investigators overheard.
Emergency responders attempted to resuscitate the child, who suffered a brain hemorrhage and an epileptic seizure. The baby was transported to the Sophia Children’s Hospital in Rotterdam, where he died in September.
The father was taken into custody immediately after the incident. When the baby passed away weeks later, prosecutors escalated the charge to manslaughter. The man has been in custody for months.
During a preliminary hearing in November, the father’s attorney argued that the baby had fallen in the hotel room, and the injuries were not caused by the father.
The final autopsy report, according to the prosecutor, confirms that the injuries resulted from external trauma. The prosecutor stated, 'The conclusions are unequivocal. This was no accident.'
The judge denied the suspect’s request to return to Germany. 'There is strong evidence linking you to your son’s death,' the judge said. The father’s lawyer argued that he should be allowed to grieve at home, stating, 'Prison is no place for mourning.' The court, however, ruled that this was insufficient reason for release.
