Bulgarian Woman Tried in Germany for Murder of 3 Children

A Bulgarian woman from the second largest city of Plovdiv, Milka Docheva, 29, is charged for the murder of three minor children in Germany.

The news was reported Sunday by the Bulgarian Trud (Labor) daily, citing the spokesperson of the court in Dortmund.

At the beginning of August the murder shocked Germany. The Bulgarian woman, who lived with the father of the children in Dortmund, was arrested on suspicion of murdering the three children.

The bodies of Mustafa, 4, and his 12-year-old sister were found in a burned down apartment, while Mehmet, 10, died in the hospital.

The police discovered that the children did not die from the fire, but all three had 49 stab wounds on their bodies, most likely from a knife or another sharp object.

The father, Muharem, 41, has not been charged. At the time of the crime, he was outside, in a nearby coffee shop.

Milka ran to him with a bloody hand and told him they were attacked inside the apartment.

The two lived together, and neighbors are quoted saying they often heart the couple arguing loudly. Muharem had wanted to return to Turkey.

Social Services have visited the home several times over alerts the children were often left unattended.

The authorities are now reopening an earlier case on suspicions of arson since there has been another fire at Muharem's apartment in February 2012. The conclusion then has been that the children, who were unharmed, played with matches, but the authorities now suspect this was an unsuccessful murder attempt.

Milka is charged with three counts of murder and one count of arson.