Murderer held for killing woman during conjugal visit

Apr 12, 2010, 15:32 GMT

Remscheid, Germany - A convicted murderer in Germany was in hospital Monday after apparently killing his girlfriend during a conjugal visit to the prison and attempting to commit suicide.

   German authorities allow prisoners to have sex with visiting partners in secluded apartments inside jails.

   Warders at Remscheid Prison found the woman, 46, stabbed and throttled to death and the convict, 50, with one of his wrists slashed on Sunday afternoon, senior police detective Tobias Clauer said at a televised news conference Monday.

   The suspect had so far served 19 years of a life sentence for raping and killing a child, a prosecutor said. Prison chief executive Katja Grafner said the woman had been allowed intimate visits with the prisoner since 2006.

   Germany introduced sex in prison 20 years ago in the belief that it helps a prisoner to preserve bonds with loved ones on the outside and develop into a healthy member of society. The couples are locked inside the rooms, which have couches and kitchenettes.

Warders check that the partners are spouses or close friends, and do not allow the prisoners to see prostitutes. Investigators said they still did not know how the couple had first made friends in 2005.

Grafner said the prisoner, who had been trusted and had supervised the prison library, had been due for a parole hearing next month.