Germany does not have a nationwide sex offender registry. However, some states have now developed a similar system known as “HEADS,” which helps track down the whereabouts of released sex convicts during their time on supervision in the community.

The system has been in place in several states, including Bayern, Sachsen, Brandenburg, and North Rhine-Westphalia. Information contained in the system includes fingerprints, DNA, conviction history, and risk assessment.

The current German law governing sexual offenses still has many loopholes and is nowhere near as comprehensive as in other developed countries.

Authorities say the judicial system only gives 1,000 guilty verdicts out of 160,000 rape cases every year in Germany.

The lack of a nationwide registry puts children at higher risk of being the next victims due to the lack of information on parents’ part.

In May 1980, the 7-year-old Anna Bachmeier skipped school and ended up in the hands of Klaus Grabowski, a convicted sex offender.

Hours later, the girl was killed, and her body was dumped in a canal. Anna’s mother, Marianne Bachmeier, shot the defendant dead in the courtroom during trial for his crime.

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10 /10 Act Of Revenge

The murder in the courtroom divided the public’s opinion on whether or not Marianne Bachmeier should be penalized for delivering justice to the killer of her daughter.

This act of revenge probably is one of the most spectacular cases of vigilante justice in the history of post-war Germany.

Several years after the incident, the public was unsure if the killing had been a justifiable homicide given Marianne’s circumstances or that she had broken the law herself by taking justice into her own hands and therefore appropriately imprisoned.

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9 /10 Mother Of Three

Marianne had three children. Not long before Marianne gave birth to her second daughter, she was raped. She eventually gave both daughters up for adoption. Anna was her third daughter, born in 1973.

Unlike with the first two, the then 23-year-old mother decided to keep the child. Marianne made a living and raised her daughter using the money she earned from running an inn and a restaurant in Lubeck.

On May 5, 1980, following an argument with her mother, little Anna skipped school for no reason and visited a man she thought she knew well, Klaus Grabowski.



8 /10 Her Body Discovered

Klaus’ fiancée notified the police about a possible abduction of a schoolgirl. A quick look at his profile revealed a history of sex offense conviction in which the victims were children.

The record showed Klaus had undergone hormone treatment under court approval to temper down his sex drive. Medical information also suggested he had voluntarily undergone a castration procedure.

Follow-up investigation discovered that Anna had been murdered; her body had been put inside a cardboard box and thrown away into a canal. Klaus was arrested that same day.

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7 /10 Artificial Male Hormones

Investigators found evidence that Anna had been in Klaus’ apartment on May 5. The little girl knew him and wanted to play with his cats.

It was not particularly unusual for Anna to spend a day independently without her mother’s supervision. Marianne kept herself busy as an innkeeper and restaurant owner.

Police also revealed that Klaus had often used a high dose of artificial male hormones to increase their sex drive.

Such treatment brought back not only his sexual desire but also aggression towards the minor, the crime for which he had been convicted.

6 /10 Offensive Claim

Detectives found no difficulties in getting a confession from Klaus. While in custody, he admitted to killing Anna but denied any sexual abuse accusations.

He told the police that Anna had attempted to blackmail him with the very same allegation.

According to Klaus, Anna threatened to tell her mother that he had sexually assaulted her if he refused to give the little girl some money.

Knowing the statement, Marianne was infuriated. She felt the story insulting and damaging her daughter’s reputation. If Marianne had no intention to kill this man before, the statement for sure changed her mind.

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5 /10 Homicide In Courtroom

March 6, 1981, was supposed to be the third day of the trial in the murder case of Anna Bachmeier. A few minutes past 10 a.m., two guards appeared with the defendant into the hall of Lubeck jury court.

The defendant was not the first to arrive, but the judge’s table was still empty at the moment. Behind his back was the auditorium.

Moments later, Marianne came approaching the defendant wearing a wide black coat. She pulled a gun out of one pocket and shot Klaus in the back six times. She then tossed the gun to the ground.

4 /10 Famous Vigilante

Witnesses at the trial later said Marianne tossed the gun to the ground in a calm fashion. Some said she fired seven shots instead of six. The weapon she used was a .22 Beretta pistol.

Marianne suddenly found herself in the spotlight after the killing. Public interest focused on the life of the mother.

The magazine “Stern” gave Marianne 250,000 marks (close to half a million American dollars of today’s money) for her life story.

Readers learned details about her unhappy childhood raised by her former Waffen-SS father. She used the money to cover legal fees for the November 1982 trial.

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3 /10 Charged For Murder

Of course, the trial was a highly anticipated event all across Germany. Many blamed the law because, for some reason, a convicted sex offender had acquired artificial male hormone treatment.

Some accused Marianne of neglecting her daughter and doubted her credibility following all sorts of publicity stunts. Others expressed sympathy and hoped the court would be on her side this time.

Marianne Bachmeier was initially charged with murder but later reduced to manslaughter.

In addition to the income from the magazine, public donation for Marianne reached nearly $60,000 by the first week of November 1982.

2 /10 Guilty As Charged

The court had a lot to consider before giving a verdict. Apart from murder and manslaughter, there were other factors such as grievance and public opinion.

The court approved the defendant’s argument that the killing was not planned, meaning Marianne carried the gun into the courtroom without any intention to use it.

On March 2, 1983, she was found guilty of manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. She was sentenced to six years in prison but released early in June 1985. Marianne left the country afterward.

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1 /10 Return To Germany

Marianne returned to Germany in 1996. By then, she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

She died on September 17 at the age of 46. Marianne had her last days filmed by an NDR (Northern German Broadcasting) reporter, further casting doubt on her sincerity.

On the other hand, the fact that she sought public attention until her last moments – when the interest had faded out considerably – proved her consistency to earn a spot in the spotlight.

She was buried in Germany against her wish to have a funeral in Palermo, where she had worked.

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  1. Marianne should never be prosecuted and jailed for putting a. Ullet in the pedophiic killer. He got exactly what he deserved for his crime. So many pedophiles ever since from 1940-present 2021 should recieve the same punishment and yet, the parents are blamed for NOT protecting thier children by the system that had FAILED them.

    Where does it end? Where does the line is drawn to stop pedophilic murderers getting away with thier heinous crimes?

    I do blame the system that had failed this woman and her children. Especially her youngest daughter. If the system weren’t so busy to protect a pedophile in the first place and not supply him those artificial hormone inhancers. That poor girl will be alive and still have her innocence.

    Pedophiles are not rehabilitatable they’re dangerous and should not be apart of society of any continent community. Ever.

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