Investigators in Berlin are looking into the case of a 59-year-old Tajik native suspected of murdering his wife. The crime reportedly occurred at the end of June but came to light following a Berlin Live report detailing police and fire department cooperation and murder statistics.
The incident took place in a family apartment on Parkstrasse in the Tempelhof-Schöneberg district of Berlin. The suspect allegedly killed his 45-year-old wife on June 30, 2024. The couple has ten children ranging in age from 1 to 24 years old. Five of their adult children live separately, while the remaining five lived with their parents. The family, originally from Tajikistan, has resided in Germany for several years.
According to Berliner Kurier, on the day of the incident, the entire family, including their adult children who live separately, gathered for a family dinner. Around 2 a.m., Berlin police received a report of an emergency at the residential building on Parkstrasse. Upon arrival, officers found the woman deceased. Reports indicate that the man beat his wife to death.
Police stated, “The 45-year-old woman had severe head injuries, leading us to believe it was a violent crime based on the information available at the time.”
Following the incident, the five minor children were taken into protective custody along with the family's two pets. The children were placed in a safe location and, after certain procedures, may be handed over to their adult siblings.
German criminal law stipulates that murder can be punished with a prison sentence ranging from five years to life imprisonment, particularly in cases involving aggravating circumstances.
The identities of the suspect and his wife have not been disclosed, nor have the motives behind the tragedy.