German Woman Sentenced to Life for Killing Toddlers

The ruling was handed by down a district court in Vasteras, 100 kilometers west of Stockholm. The court also sentenced Christine S. for attempted murder of the mother of the children.

The 32-year-old student has denied she attacked the children and their mother in Arboga, central Sweden on March 17.

She was extradited to Sweden at the end of April and the lengthy trial opened in July with more than 50 witnesses summoned. The prosecution relied on witnesses in the case because of lack of forensic evidence and DNA linking the accused to the crime scene.

The prosecution described the attack as a crime of jealousy, with the German woman having refused to accept that her ex-boyfriend had begun a new relationship with the mother of the two children.

The defense has meanwhile questioned the ability of the 23-year-old mother, who sustained injuries in the attack, to accurately remember details of the attack in which her children -- aged one and three -- were beaten to death with a heavy object.

Christine S. and her lawyer had prior to the ruling said they planned to appeal.