A woman in Berlin threw her one-year-old daughter from a third-floor window, placing the infant in a cat carrier first. A photographer captured the moment when the incident occurred, and the scene unfolded with alarming urgency.
Nearby, a passerby in the Altglienicke area heard faint cries from a cat carrier that had fallen to the ground. Upon entering the apartment, he discovered a severely injured child, the 21-month-old, lying beneath the carrier. A large bush directly beneath the window may have softened the fall from a height of roughly 11 meters and likely saved the child’s life. Police later stated that while the child’s arms and legs were broken, the baby’s life was not in immediate danger.
An official said the child was transported to hospital promptly after the fall, where medical teams assessed her injuries and began critical care for stabilization.
Initial investigative information indicates that at the time of the incident, a 41-year-old Czech citizen was in the same apartment with his young daughter, a nine-year-old son, and a cat. Investigators believe the mother was experiencing depression or emotional distress, which may have driven her to throw the infant from the window in a moment of desperation.
The woman refused to comment publicly on the events. Reports indicate she has four other children, one of whom is already grown, while the others remain under her care. Neighbors described her as gentle and affectionate, sometimes admired as the neighborhood’s cheerful, camera-loving mother. She is currently receiving psychiatric treatment, and a criminal case has been opened. The authorities have placed the nine-year-old in the custody of the Children’s Branch Directorate while they continue the investigation.
Past reports in other cases have described similarly tragic moments where a parent in distress acted with dangerous abandon, and emergency services have faced the challenging task of safeguarding children in crisis situations.