The German Mother Who Killed Her Daughter's Killer In Court - True Story

Marianne Bachmeier opened fire on a crowded courthouse her target was a 35-year-old sex offender on trial for the death of her daughter; he took six of her bullets and died.

Marianne Bachmeier opened fire on a crowded courthouse in what was then known as West Germany on March 6, 1981. Her target was a 35-year-old sex offender on trial for the death of her daughter; he took six of her bullets and died.

Bachmeier immediately became a famous person. Her ensuing trial, which was avidly watched by the German public, raised the topic of whether or not her attempt to avenge her murdered child was justified.

Even after forty years, the case is still remembered. It was termed by the German news agency NDR as the "most spectacular episode of vigilante punishment in German postwar history."