Christine Schürrer
Encyclopedia
Christine Schürrer is a German
citizen who murdered two Swedish children and seriously injured their mother with 15 blows to the head with a hammer
after attacking them in their home in Arboga
, Sweden
, on March 17, 2008. The motive for the murders has been identified as jealousy, since Schürrer had dated the children's stepfather while he was on holiday on the Greek island of Crete
in 2006 where she was working at a local hostel
.
Schürrer's case became the most noted and most followed criminal case in Sweden in 2008, along with the crimes of Anders Eklund
.
as an exchange student and lived with relatives in Manhattan
. During her stay in the United States
she also studied in Oklahoma
. After she moved back to Germany she settled in Göttingen
where she studied history for the next six years before traveling to Athens
, Greece
. In Athens Schürrer got a job at a hostel
and also worked as a historian during that time. After one year she once again moved back to her hometown in Germany to work but she was soon back in Greece again, this time on the island of Crete
, where she would meet and have a romantic relationship with a Swedish man, the stepfather of her future victims.
during the summer of 2007 where she settled in Södermalm
, in central Stockholm
. She later found a new apartment in Skarpnäck
, a suburb of Stockholm. During this time Christine tried for a third time to commit suicide
. She was admitted to Södersjukhuset hospital
and was later released with only minor cuts on her arms. She had earlier tried to commit suicide as a result of feeling betrayed by the Swedish man leaving her after a two week romance in Greece. Police believe that Christine arrived in Arboga by train on the afternoon of March 17. She went to the victim's house and knocked on the door. When the mother, 23-year old Emma Jangestig, answered the door, Schürrer snuck inside and struck her over the head 15 times with a hammer. She then attacked the woman's two children, 3-year old Max and 1-year old Saga,
causing fatal trauma to their heads. Schürrer had visited Arboga two times before on March 12 and March 14, possibly to get more information on where to locate the mother who she would attack days later. The mother's ex-boyfriend, the father of the two children, was arrested, but he was released the day after as it was established he was not the killer. Schürrer was arrested in Germany on March 22, 2008, but was released again the same day. On March 24, German police sent DNA
samples from the suspect to Swedish police for testing. The mother had begun to wake up from her coma in a hospital around that time, and she could identify Christine as the attacker. Swedish investigators also examined a surveillance camera from the railway station in Arboga
and a witness identified Christine, which proved that she had been in Arboga on that day during the time of the murder. She left Sweden and headed home to Germany on March 18 where she was arrested by German police on March 30, the day after an arrest warrant had been signed. She was later transferred to Sweden for the trial.
to see if she was fit to be sentenced to prison
or receive psychiatric treatment. She refused to cooperate in the tests so it was not possible to make a correct assessment on her psychological health. On October 14, 2008 she was sentenced to life in prison as the evaluation showed that she suffered from no mental illness
(as defined in Swedish law). If - or when (life sentences are typically commuted after 10–15 years in Sweden) Schürrer is released from prison she will also be forced to leave Sweden and barred from entering the country for life. Schürrer's defense attorney said that he would take the case to the court of appeals. The case received extensive coverage from both the Swedish
and other world media.
, a Swedish website providing magnet links. In Sweden, preliminary investigations become publicly available the moment a lawsuit is filed and can be ordered from the court by any individual. The document included pictures from the autopsy of the two murdered children, which caused their father Nicklas Jangestig to urge the website to have the pictures removed. The Pirate Bay refused to remove the torrent. The number of downloads increased to about 50,000 a few days later. On 11 September 2008, the website's press contact Peter Sunde participated in the debate program Debatt on the public broadcaster SVT
. Sunde had agreed to participate on the condition that the father Nicklas Jangestig would not take part in the debate. Jangestig ultimately did participate in the program by telephone, which made Sunde feel betrayed by SVT. This caused The Pirate Bay to suspend all of its press contacts the following day.
“I don’t think it’s our job to judge if something is ethical or unethical or what other people want to put out on the internet,” said The Pirate Bay’s spokesperson Peter Sunde to TV4.
for a new trial. Schürrer's sentence was finalised on February 16 when her appeal was rejected. Schürrer may be transferred to a German prison, in which case she would serve a 25-year sentence under German law. Schürrer is the seventh woman in Swedish history to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
citizen who murdered two Swedish children and seriously injured their mother with 15 blows to the head with a hammer
Hammer
A hammer is a tool meant to deliver an impact to an object. The most common uses are for driving nails, fitting parts, forging metal and breaking up objects. Hammers are often designed for a specific purpose, and vary widely in their shape and structure. The usual features are a handle and a head,...
after attacking them in their home in Arboga
Arboga
Arboga is a locality and the seat of Arboga Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden with 10,369 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:The city of Arboga is known to have existed as a town since the 13th century but the area has been inhabited since around 900 AD...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, on March 17, 2008. The motive for the murders has been identified as jealousy, since Schürrer had dated the children's stepfather while he was on holiday on the Greek island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
in 2006 where she was working at a local hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
.
Schürrer's case became the most noted and most followed criminal case in Sweden in 2008, along with the crimes of Anders Eklund
Anders Eklund (murderer)
Per Anders Eklund is a Swedish murderer and rapist convicted of killing a 31-year-old woman in 2000 and a 10-year-old girl in 2008. Eklund is also a suspect in other murder cases currently under investigation, including the unsolved 1994 murder of Malin Olsson in Gothenburg...
.
Early life
Schürrer was born in Hanover, Germany. When she was 11 years old, her father left the family for good; Christine and her father had very little contact afterwards. Christine went to New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
as an exchange student and lived with relatives in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. During her stay in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
she also studied in Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. After she moved back to Germany she settled in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
where she studied history for the next six years before traveling to Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
. In Athens Schürrer got a job at a hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
and also worked as a historian during that time. After one year she once again moved back to her hometown in Germany to work but she was soon back in Greece again, this time on the island of Crete
Crete
Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...
, where she would meet and have a romantic relationship with a Swedish man, the stepfather of her future victims.
Murders and arrest
Christine had arrived in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
during the summer of 2007 where she settled in Södermalm
Södermalm
Södermalm, often shortened to "Söder", is a district in central Stockholm. It covers the large island formerly called "Åsön". With a population of 99,685, it is one of the most densely populated districts of Scandinavia...
, in central Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. She later found a new apartment in Skarpnäck
Skarpnäck
Skarpnäck may refer to:*Skarpnäck borough in Stockholm, Sweden*Skarpnäck metro station, a Stockholm Metro station*Skarpnäck parish, a Church of Sweden parish in Stockholm, Sweden*Skarpnäcksfältet, a subdistrict in Skarpnäcks Gård district, Skarpnäck borough...
, a suburb of Stockholm. During this time Christine tried for a third time to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. She was admitted to Södersjukhuset hospital
Södersjukhuset
Södersjukhuset is one of the largest hospitals in Stockholm, Sweden. Constructed between 1937 and 1944, it was designed by architects Hjalmar Cederström and H. Imhäuser. Södersjukhuset has the largest emergency department in northern Europe....
and was later released with only minor cuts on her arms. She had earlier tried to commit suicide as a result of feeling betrayed by the Swedish man leaving her after a two week romance in Greece. Police believe that Christine arrived in Arboga by train on the afternoon of March 17. She went to the victim's house and knocked on the door. When the mother, 23-year old Emma Jangestig, answered the door, Schürrer snuck inside and struck her over the head 15 times with a hammer. She then attacked the woman's two children, 3-year old Max and 1-year old Saga,
causing fatal trauma to their heads. Schürrer had visited Arboga two times before on March 12 and March 14, possibly to get more information on where to locate the mother who she would attack days later. The mother's ex-boyfriend, the father of the two children, was arrested, but he was released the day after as it was established he was not the killer. Schürrer was arrested in Germany on March 22, 2008, but was released again the same day. On March 24, German police sent DNA
DNA
Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
samples from the suspect to Swedish police for testing. The mother had begun to wake up from her coma in a hospital around that time, and she could identify Christine as the attacker. Swedish investigators also examined a surveillance camera from the railway station in Arboga
Arboga
Arboga is a locality and the seat of Arboga Municipality in Västmanland County, Sweden with 10,369 inhabitants in 2005.-Overview:The city of Arboga is known to have existed as a town since the 13th century but the area has been inhabited since around 900 AD...
and a witness identified Christine, which proved that she had been in Arboga on that day during the time of the murder. She left Sweden and headed home to Germany on March 18 where she was arrested by German police on March 30, the day after an arrest warrant had been signed. She was later transferred to Sweden for the trial.
Trial and sentence
On August 26, 2008 Schürrer was found guilty of the murders and assault on the mother. Schürrer underwent a psychological evaluationEvaluation
Evaluation is systematic determination of merit, worth, and significance of something or someone using criteria against a set of standards.Evaluation often is used to characterize and appraise subjects of interest in a wide range of human enterprises, including the arts, criminal justice,...
to see if she was fit to be sentenced to prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
or receive psychiatric treatment. She refused to cooperate in the tests so it was not possible to make a correct assessment on her psychological health. On October 14, 2008 she was sentenced to life in prison as the evaluation showed that she suffered from no mental illness
Mental illness
A mental disorder or mental illness is a psychological or behavioral pattern generally associated with subjective distress or disability that occurs in an individual, and which is not a part of normal development or culture. Such a disorder may consist of a combination of affective, behavioural,...
(as defined in Swedish law). If - or when (life sentences are typically commuted after 10–15 years in Sweden) Schürrer is released from prison she will also be forced to leave Sweden and barred from entering the country for life. Schürrer's defense attorney said that he would take the case to the court of appeals. The case received extensive coverage from both the Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
and other world media.
Autopsy photos
In September 2008, the Swedish media reported that the public preliminary investigation protocols concerning Schürrer's murder trial had been made available through a torrent on The Pirate BayThe Pirate Bay
The Pirate Bay is a Swedish website which hosts magnet links and .torrent files, which allow users to share electronic files, including multimedia, computer games and software via BitTorrent...
, a Swedish website providing magnet links. In Sweden, preliminary investigations become publicly available the moment a lawsuit is filed and can be ordered from the court by any individual. The document included pictures from the autopsy of the two murdered children, which caused their father Nicklas Jangestig to urge the website to have the pictures removed. The Pirate Bay refused to remove the torrent. The number of downloads increased to about 50,000 a few days later. On 11 September 2008, the website's press contact Peter Sunde participated in the debate program Debatt on the public broadcaster SVT
Sveriges Television
Sveriges Television AB , Sweden's Television, is a national television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by a compulsory fee to be paid by all television owners...
. Sunde had agreed to participate on the condition that the father Nicklas Jangestig would not take part in the debate. Jangestig ultimately did participate in the program by telephone, which made Sunde feel betrayed by SVT. This caused The Pirate Bay to suspend all of its press contacts the following day.
“I don’t think it’s our job to judge if something is ethical or unethical or what other people want to put out on the internet,” said The Pirate Bay’s spokesperson Peter Sunde to TV4.
Appeal
Schürrer appealed to the Svea Court of AppealSvea Court of Appeal
The Svea Court of Appeal , located in Stockholm, is one of six appellate courts in the Swedish legal system. It was founded in 1614 and was the highest court in Sweden until 1789, when the Supreme Court of Sweden was established....
for a new trial. Schürrer's sentence was finalised on February 16 when her appeal was rejected. Schürrer may be transferred to a German prison, in which case she would serve a 25-year sentence under German law. Schürrer is the seventh woman in Swedish history to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
External links
- Pro-Christine Schürrer site (in Swedish)