Marianne Bachmeier

Marianne Bachmeier (3 June 1950 – 17 September 1996) was a German woman who shot and killed the rapist and murderer of her child, Anna, in an act of vigilantism in the District Court of Lübeck in 1981. The case sparked extensive media coverage and public debate. As a result, Bachmeier was convicted of manslaughter and unlawful possession of a firearm. She was sentenced to six years but released on bail after serving three years. Bachmeier moved abroad before returning to Germany after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died aged 46 and was buried next to her daughter, Anna, in Burgtor Cemetery in Lübeck. Marianne Bachmeier was born on 3 June 1950. She grew up in Sarstedt, a small town near Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, West Germany, where her parents had fled after World War II from East Prussia. Her father had been a member of the Waffen-SS. She was raised in a conservative home with devoutly religious parents. Her father was the stereotypical authoritative figure, a heavy drinker who spent much of his time at a bar close to the family home. Their household was not pleasant, and drinking made her father more aggressive. Her parents divorced, and her mother later remarried. Marianne Bachmeier was perceived as a troubled adolescent by—what she described as—a dictatorial stepfather, and her mother eventually kicked her out of the house. In 1966, aged 16, Bachmeier had her first child, whom she placed for adoption as an infant. She became pregnant again at the age of 18 by her boyfriend. Bachmeier was raped shortly before the birth of her second child. Her second child was also placed for adoption as an infant. Bachmeier began dating the manager of Tipasa, a bar where they both worked, in 1972. She became pregnant for the third time at the age of 22. On 14 November 1972, Bachmeier's third child, Anna, was born, and she raised her alone. As a result, Bachmeier took Anna to work at the pub, and she was said to never feel a need to rush home after her regular hours behind the bar.