1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites
Crime

Elderly woman confesses to killing 7-year-old

March 22, 2019

A 75-year-old Swiss woman has claimed she stabbed a 7-year-old boy to death in the city of Basel. Police are still searching for a motive.

https://p.dw.com/p/3FSzq
Flowers and candles lie on the footpath near where the boy was killed
Image: picture-alliance/KEYSTONE/G. Kefalas

A 7-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death in Switzerland on Thursday, reportedly by a 75-year-old woman.

The boy was on his way home from school in the city of Basel when he was attacked. His teacher found the injured boy on the footpath and called emergency services.

Doctors were unable to revive him and he succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Read more: Man goes on chainsaw rampage in Schaffhausen, Switzerland

Shortly after he was stabbed, a 75-year-old woman surrendered to police and confessed to the attack.

Investigators said they were still looking into the motive.

It was unclear whether the woman knew the child. Police are seeking witnesses.

aw/rc (AFP, dpa)

Every evening, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here.