On March 6, 1981, the usually quiet courtroom in Lübeck, Germany, was shattered by the sound of gunfire. Marianne Bachmeier, a mother consumed by grief and anger, walked in with a clear purpose. Moments later, she pulled a loaded pistol from her handbag and shot 35-year-old sex offender Klaus Grabowski—killing him instantly in the middle of his own trial.
Grabowski was accused of abducting, abusing, and murdering Marianne’s 7-year-old daughter, Anna. Seven of the bullets struck him, ending his life on the spot. Marianne was immediately arrested, showing no remorse for her actions. More than four decades later, her case remains one of Germany’s most infamous examples of vigilante justice—still sparking debate nationwide.
Marianne’s life had been marked by hardship long before Anna’s death. Born to a father who had served in the Waffen-SS during Nazi Germany, she endured multiple sexual assaults growing up. At 16, she became pregnant but gave the baby up for adoption. The same happened two years later when she had another child.
In 1973, Marianne gave birth to Anna, her third child, and decided to raise her alone while running a small pub in northern Germany. Anna was known as a cheerful and outgoing little girl—until tragedy struck in May 1980.
After an argument with her mother, Anna skipped school and set out for a friend’s home. Along the way, she was abducted by Grabowski, who held her captive in his apartment for hours. He later strangled her, placed her body in a box, and hid it near a canal. His fiancée eventually tipped off police, leading to his arrest that same evening.
Grabowski was already a convicted pedophile, having served time for assaulting two girls. While in prison, he voluntarily underwent chemical castration, only to later begin hormone treatment to reverse it. Despite confessing to Anna’s murder, he denied sexually abusing her. In court, he went so far as to accuse the child of trying to blackmail him—claims the court dismissed as absurd.
Hearing Grabowski shift blame onto Anna pushed Marianne to the brink. On the third day of his trial, she smuggled a Beretta M1934 into the courtroom, bypassing security. Once inside, she opened fire, hitting him seven times.
After dropping the gun, she reportedly told those present, “He killed my daughter… I wanted to shoot him in the face, but I shot him in the back. I hope he’s dead.” Witnesses said she also called him a “pig.”
Initially charged with murder, Marianne claimed she acted in a dreamlike state after imagining her daughter’s presence in court. However, experts testified that her accuracy suggested prior practice, implying premeditation. When asked to provide a handwriting sample, she wrote: “I did it for you, Anna,” and decorated the page with seven hearts—one for each year of her daughter’s life.
Marianne’s trial in 1982 became an international media sensation. Dubbed the “Revenge Mom,” she drew both sympathy and criticism. Early portrayals painted her as a grieving hero, but some journalists began digging into her past—pointing out that she had given up her first two children for adoption and spent considerable time in bars.
In 1983, she was convicted of premeditated manslaughter and illegal possession of a firearm, receiving a six-year sentence but serving only three. Public opinion was sharply divided—some saw the punishment as fair, others as too harsh or too lenient.
After her release, Marianne moved to Nigeria, marrying a German teacher, but the marriage ended in divorce. She later relocated to Sicily, Italy, before returning to Lübeck when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
She continued to speak publicly about the case, admitting in 1995 that she had acted deliberately to stop Grabowski from further defaming her daughter.
On September 17, 1996, Marianne died in a Lübeck hospital. She was buried beside Anna.
To this day, Marianne’s story remains controversial. Many believe she delivered the justice the legal system could not, especially given Grabowski’s history of abusing children. Others argue that taking the law into one’s own hands undermines the justice system, regardless of the crime.
