Parents killed three-year-old daughter who could not speak or walk due to cerebral palsy by giving her ecstasy overdose then suffocating her ‘because she would never have a good life’

German parents who murdered their disabled three-year-old daughter in Switzerland by sedating and strangling her with a tea towel because “she would never have a good life” were sentenced today to eight years in prison.

The verdict, delivered this morning by the Bremgarten District Court in Switzerland, brings an end to the tragic case that began in May 2020 in the sleepy Swiss town of Haagglingen.

The parents, 32-year-old mother Emilie T. and Urs D., 34, decided to give their severely disabled daughter Sophie a mixture of baby milk and strawberry puree, mixed with a gram of MDMA (also known as ecstasy) and a sleeping pill.

Their three-year-old son suffered from cerebral palsy, could not walk or talk and often suffered from epileptic seizures.

Unable to watch their daughter suffer, the parents took matters into their own hands. But the cocktail of drugs left the child shaking and writhing for over an hour.

Fearing the overdose would not be enough to end her life, the father placed a tea towel over Sophie’s nose and mouth, then pressed his hand to her face and strangled her.

The next morning, the couple called local emergency services and pretended to be innocent, claiming they had found their daughter dead in her crib.

According to Bremgarten’s court documents, Sophie’s parents were overwhelmed by her condition and considered her a “burden.”

The court heard how the couple, out of frustration and impatience, took their child’s life into their own hands instead of seeking professional help.

As time went on, they began to cancel their daughter’s hospital appointments and refused medical interventions that could have alleviated her suffering.

During their trial this week, the prosecution revealed that the couple had canceled a major operation to insert a gastric tube, which would have allowed them to feed their child with minimal pain, and had falsely told doctors that their daughter’s eating habits had improved.

Prosecutors described their actions as “cruel and treacherous,” noting that the child’s death struggle lasted about an hour.

It was also revealed that the couple had attempted to kill their daughter using narcotics in the months leading up to the fatal incident.

After initially pretending to find their daughter dead, Sophie’s parents eventually confessed to their crime, claiming they had “redeemed” the child by ending her suffering.

“She suffered from her own life,” Emilie T. said in a shocking interview with the Swiss newspaper Aargauer magazine.

“She would never have been better off. She would never have been able to live a good life.”

Prosecutors revealed during the trial that Urs D. had researched “the most humane and painless way” to end his daughter’s suffering.

The parents are also said to have prepared MDMA and sleeping pills for Sophie twice before, without giving them to her.

“I couldn’t do it. She’s my little girl. It’s not something you just do,” Emilie T. said.

They finally carried out their plan on the evening of May 6, 2020, and called authorities the next morning.

The parents are also said to have prepared Sophie’s bottle of MDMA and sleeping pills twice before without giving it to her.

The case took a dark turn when the child’s 53-year-old maternal grandmother became involved and was charged with complicity in the murder.

The public prosecutor had initially demanded 18-year prison sentences for both parents, along with 15 years’ deportation from Switzerland and a five-year prison sentence for the grandmother.

Investigators alleged that the woman was aware of the couple’s plans and had emotionally supported them in their decision.

Ultimately, the court sentenced the parents to eight years in prison each for the murder and acquitted the grandmother of all charges.

Swiss ethics experts said 20 minutes that although the parents believed they were acting in their daughter’s best interests, the murder conviction was justified.

“The dignity of every human being is inviolable, regardless of his or her state of health,” said former ethics lecturer Thomas Gröbly.

‘There is no such thing as an unworthy life, even the greatest suffering cannot undermine dignity.’

Ruth Baumann-Hölzle from the Dialog Ethik Foundation added: ‘There are many people with cerebral palsy who live fulfilling lives. Most of them are also able to make their own decisions.’

‘(Killing the girl) is active euthanasia and that is prohibited in Switzerland.’