On a quiet morning in Lübeck, Germany, on March 6, 1981, a woman named Marianne Bachmeier walked into a courtroom with a calm but determined demeanor. What happened next would shock a nation and echo across the world for decades. Marianne, carrying a small loaded pistol in her handbag, took aim at Klaus Grabowski—the man accused of kidnapping, abusing, and murdering her seven-year-old daughter, Anna. In a matter of seconds, she fired seven shots into him, ending his life on the courtroom floor.
Her arrest was immediate, but Marianne showed no remorse. She had done what many parents might secretly dream of in their most broken moments: she exacted her own justice. Her act, raw and emotional, sparked global debate.