different realities and reactions small children in the neighbourhood she had hesitated. Now she instead wanted to live in repentance instead of dying in sin.567 The trial was adjourned several times and in the meantime a physician, Erik Samuel Wennberg, and a priest, Per Welander, both attached to the gaol visited Maria Johansdotter. Both of them, but especially the physician, were to examine her state of mind. In their reports, the motive was of central importance, and in the first report by Wennberg he stated that her aim was to prepare the salvation of both the child and her; her visits to the two priests had been a part of her worrying over religious matters leading to the idea of committing murder.568 In a later report his description became more specific: by committing a capital crime, she would through the preparation for the execution win peace in herself, forgiveness of her sins, and she would die saved.569 According to Welander her motive for choosing a child as the victim was because it would be saved, while she herself would go to prison and thereby be so tormented and repentant that she would be saved after death through the execution.570 Based mainly on the findings of Wennberg the court found that Maria Johansdotter had not had ’the full use of senses’. Her crime was committed during an attack of unsound religiosity and therefore she could not be held responsible for her actions. The motives she had had for the murder was seen as decisive in finding her confused at the time of the murder.Wennberg also considered her present state of mind as not dangerous. The assessments of Wennberg were supported by the collegium of health when the court asked for their assessment. The sentence was 567 Record 2 June 1845 p 11 sq, 17AIa:132 Konga häradsrätts arkivVaLA, Draft of record 2 June 1845 (used as cover) FIa:162 Konga häradsrätts arkivVaLA. 568 Copy of certificate by Erik Samuel Wennberg in record 2 June 1845AIa 132 Konga häradsrätts arkivVaLA. 569 Certificate by Erik Samuel Wennberg 4 September 1845 nr 123 EVac:1047 Huvudarkivet Göta hovrätts arkivVaLA. 570 ”Ett barn ville hon avdagataga, emedan dess själ bleve salig, och således ej kunde ropa förbannelse över henne.” Report from Per Welander 22 January 1846SFAREVI:2RAS. Inthe ecclesiastical register her crime and motive was described as ”dränkt en annans barn, emedan hon ville komma i fängelse och pinas på det hon skulle komma till riktig ånger och bliva salig.” Note 14 mayDIIId:1a Kyrkobok 1844–46 Kriminalvårdsanstalten i Växjö arkiv VaLA. 162
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