German Officials Block Child Murderer's Foundation for Children

A foundation that aims to help abused children founded by a child murderer and run by his lawyer is not a good idea, ruled local German authorities, who denied approval Wednesday.

Instead, officials in the western city of Trier called the initiative inappropriate and said that such an institution -- named after the 31-year-old German man convicted of killing a child in 2002, Magnus Gäfgen -- would be always associated with the man and his act.

The plans came under Trier jurisdiction because Gäfgen's lawyer, Michael Heuchemer, has his office in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

Heuchemer declined comment on the ruling.

Atonement

Gäfgen kidnapped Jakob von Metzler, the 11-year-old son of a prominent Frankfurt banking family, on Sept. 27, 2002, as the boy was on his way home from school. The same day he suffocated Metzler, he demanded one million euros ($1.28 million) from the Metzler family for the boy's release, which they paid. When the boy was not released, the police, who had been observing Gäfgen for days, arrested him at the Frankfurt airport.

In July 2003, he was found guilty of abduction, murder and blackmail and sentenced to life in prison.

According Gäfgen's lawyer, the 31-year-old convicted murderer wanted to establish the charity as a symbol of atonement.

"The thought of a charitable engagement can only serve as an attempt to set a counter-symbol for the injustice committed in 2002," Heuchemer said in a statement.

The foundation was to be called "Horizons -- Children and Youth Foundation." Its original capital amounts to 25,000 euros ($32,215). In the paperwork submitted to the authorities, Heuchemer is listed as the foundation president, but Gäfgen himself would have chosen the children that were to receive help from the foundation.