Mühldorf court suspends case against midwives over newborn’s death

A court in Mühldorf am Inn suspended the case against two midwives over a newborn’s death during a home birth in Taufkirchen, Bavaria, in April 2021.

Prosecutors had accused the midwives of causing the baby’s death by failing to recognise and respond to an emergency during the birth.

The pregnancy had raised medical concerns, and doctors had advised the mother to give birth in hospital rather than at home.

The baby was stillborn, and attempts to revive him failed; an autopsy found that he had suffocated during birth.

The court said it could not establish that the midwives had made specific mistakes during labour or prove a direct link between their actions and the death.

The main midwife must pay €10,000 and complete 15 hours of training, while the second midwife must pay €2,000.

The case will be closed once both midwives meet the court’s conditions.