A Syrian bus driver is on trial in Germany, accused of attempting to murder his former partner and their infant son by setting fire to her apartment while they were inside.

At the Munich Regional Court, prosecutors alleged that Abdulrahman K., 31, acted out of anger over €367 a month in child support payments.

According to the indictment, Abdulrahman K. crept into the stairwell of the apartment building one evening in March 2024, poured gasoline through a crack in the door of his ex-partner Jenny G.’s flat, and ignited it.

Jenny G., 31, told the court that she woke to an explosion and escaped through the flames carrying her 1-year-old son. She suffered burns to her face and arm, while the child was unharmed. The fire caused €62,000 in damage and rendered the apartment uninhabitable.

“The shock still runs deep,” she told the court, as cited by Bild. “I have anxiety attacks, constant nightmares. My ex wanted to burn me and my son.”

The defendant has admitted to starting the fire but denied intending to kill. “I didn’t want to kill anyone,” he said in court, claiming that he had five liters of gasoline but only poured out a glass in front of the door. He added, “Family is the most important thing to me.”

Prosecutors reject this, saying he planned to kill both mother and child to escape his financial obligations. At the time of the attack, he was reportedly €1,700 in arrears on maintenance payments, burdened with €110,000 in debt, and earning around €2,000 a month.

The couple met in 2023, and Jenny G. became pregnant shortly after. Prosecutors say Abdulrahman K. showed little interest in the child after the relationship ended and became enraged when ordered to pay child support.

He faces life imprisonment if convicted of attempted murder.