An Austrian couple has been sentenced to life in prison for the torture and murder of their three-year-old son, Elias, whom they believed was possessed by a demon. The case, described as unprecedented in Austrian legal history, highlights the horrific consequences of extreme beliefs and parental abuse.
Kevin and Nathalie, both 25 years old, were found guilty of murder, torture, and unlawful confinement on February 9, 2026, in a court in Innsbruck, Austria. The sentencing follows a disturbing investigation into the prolonged abuse and eventual death of Elias.
Prosecutors detailed how Elias endured five months of relentless torment before succumbing to exhaustion and dehydration in May 2024. According to investigators, the child was routinely beaten with a wooden spoon, confined to a drawer for 22 hours each day, and deprived of food and water.
The couple allegedly kept Elias locked in complete darkness, bound in the bathtub, and subjected him to scalding or freezing water. The abuse resulted in the boy becoming blind.
During closing arguments, prosecutor Verena Pezzei stated the case was “unprecedented not only in the district but in the entire history of Austrian courts.” Prosecutors argued that Kevin and Nathalie intended for Elias to suffer as much as possible.
Earlier, Hansjorg Mayr, a spokesperson for the Innsbruck prosecutor’s office, said, “The shocking findings of the investigation showed that the parents inflicted psychological and physical violence on their child in the most brutal ways.”
“They separated the boy from the rest of the family, treated him inhumanely, humiliated and intimidated him,” Mayr continued. “They hit him with a wooden spoon, tied his hands and feet with fastening straps, and sometimes blindfolded him. They similarly tied him to the sink in the bathroom and left him alone in the dark for hours.”
Elias, who had twin sisters and another sibling, was isolated from his sisters. The sisters are currently living in foster care. Investigators found that while Elias was starved, his sisters were well-cared for and adequately fed.
Police say Elias died on May 19, 2024. His parents did not report his death to authorities until the following day.
A post-mortem examination revealed Elias weighed only seven kilograms – roughly half the average weight for a child of his age.
Mayr stated the parents lived in “a fantasy world in which a demon possessing little Elias was responsible for all their troubles.” According to German news portal Bild.de, a medical expert testified in court that both parents suffer from a rare sadist personality disorder.
The abuse occurred during a period of financial hardship for the family. The couple documented Elias’s torture in conversations on the WhatsApp messaging app, and also photographed and filmed his suffering, allegedly to “indulge their sadistic tendencies,” according to Mayr.
Nathalie admitted to torturing Elias but blamed the alleged demon. Kevin previously confessed to his guilt and expressed remorse, telling the court on February 9, “I have no explanation for what I did.”
Nathalie also claimed her son had been ill in the weeks leading up to his death, had no appetite, and had a doctor’s appointment scheduled.
Prosecutors revealed that two days before Elias’s death, on a Friday, the entire family – excluding Elias – went to a McDonald’s restaurant to celebrate the birthday of their eldest daughter. The three-year-old was left at home alone.
The family also attended a medieval festival in Kufstein, 68 kilometers from Innsbruck, without Elias.
According to the Innsbruck Regional Court, the couple was arrested on “suspicion of murder by torture and neglect.” Mayr said they “had not provided [Elias] with sufficient food and fluids for at least several weeks” and “did not seek medical attention despite obvious changes in his health, weight loss, which led to his death from lack of nourishment.”
The six-member family moved to an apartment in Ebbs, Kufstein, in September 2021, three years before Elias’s death.
During earlier testimony, Elias’s 55-year-old grandmother defended her son and daughter-in-law, insisting, “They are not murderers.”
“We did not expect this,” she said. “I raised all my children properly, there were never any problems. Elias often stayed with me, he was of weak health, but what could I do? His parents are adults.”
Based on reporting from The U.S. Sun
