A 92-year-old German – name withheld – on Tuesday in court admitted to killing his infirm wife after almost 70 years of marriage.
His defence lawyer argued that he acted out of love, rather than self-interest or ill will.
“All these years, I cared for my wife to the best of my ability,’’ the elderly defendant said in a statement that was read out to the court in Wuerzburg, a city in the German state of Bavaria.
The husband looked after the 91-year-old woman, who suffered from dementia, essentially round the clock for decades, receiving help just twice a week from a welfare centre, the court heard.
The man is said to have acted out of desperation, overwhelmed by the burden of care and fearing that his wife will be sent to a care home.
The couple, who had no children, had purportedly agreed to die together. An attempt by the man to commit suicide was unsuccessful.
According to prosecutors, he smothered his partner with a cover and suffocated her on November 3, 2019.
Prosecutors also believe that the man had seen no other option due to his determination to live a healthy and independent life together with his wife.
The defendant must answer to a manslaughter charge “without being a murderer’’, the chief prosecutor said.
It is assumed that the man was severely depressed when he killed his wife, meaning that his culpability could be reduced in the eyes of the court.
