A disturbing chapter from medical history has resurfaced, shedding light on one of the most chilling cases of serial infant murder. Marie Fikáčková, a nurse at the hospital in Sušice, Czechoslovakia, confessed to killing at least 10 newborn babies in the late 1950s and early 1960s by crushing their skulls.
Her arrest came in 1960 after two suspicious infant deaths in one night prompted an investigation. When confronted, Fikáčková admitted that she was often driven to violence by the sound of babies crying, which she claimed triggered uncontrollable rage. Further inquiries revealed that she may have committed even more killings over several years.
Medical and psychological evaluations determined that she suffered from a personality disorder, but authorities deemed her mentally competent to stand trial. She was convicted of two confirmed murders and executed by hanging in 1961.
The case led to national reforms in hospital oversight and psychological screening for healthcare workers in Czechoslovakia. It remains one of the country’s most haunting medical crimes.
