Court orders German woman child murder suspect to remain in custody

Stockholm  -  A Swedish district court Saturday ordered a 31- year-old German woman to remain in custody on suspicion of beating two children to death in March.

The remand custody hearing in Vasteras, about 100 kilometres west of Stockholm, was held behind closed doors and an interpreter was present.

The German student was extradited to Sweden on Tuesday, and on Friday police in Vasteras held a three-hour interview with her.

The woman has maintained she was innocent of allegations she killed the two children, aged one and three.

Prosecutor Frieda Gummesson told reporters the court's decision had been expected, while the suspect's lawyer, Per-Ingvar Ekblad, said he would appeal the decision on Monday. His client insisted she was innocent.

The 23-year-old mother of the children survived the March 17 attack, and recently left hospital. She has told local media that she suffered from impaired hearing and one eye was injured.

The initial interview on Friday aimed at getting acquainted and did not deal with the murder allegations, a Vasteras police spokesman said. Swedish authorities have cooperated with prosecutors in the German city of Celle over the case.

The woman student denies allegations, widely aired in the media, that after she was jilted by a Swedish boyfriend, she had attacked his new girlfriend and the Swedish woman's children from previous relationships. (dpa)

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