Viviane Obenauf Refuses Court-Ordered Therapy During Murder Sentence

The Legal Battle Over Therapy

Obenauf, who was convicted in 2020 and saw her sentence upheld by the Swiss Federal Court in 2025, has consistently denied the murder charge. The Bern Justice Enforcement Office has mandated a therapy program based on a risk assessment, but Obenauf refuses to engage, arguing that acknowledging guilt would contradict her stance. It is the battle of my life, she wrote on her website, which she maintains with the help of friends while incarcerated at Hindelbank, Switzerland’s only women’s prison.

The therapy requirement is tied to her eligibility for reduced prison conditions, including visitation rights with her 15-year-old son, who lives with his father. Without participation, Obenauf faces stricter confinement, a consequence she has publicly accepted as part of her resistance. I will not speak about it, she stated, according to a report by CH Media, the outlet that first covered her case.

The Financial Burden of Incarceration

Switzerland’s prison system is costly: each day in Hindelbank costs 410 Swiss francs, amounting to 2.7 million francs over 18 years. Authorities offered Obenauf the option to serve her sentence in Brazil, her home country, to reduce expenses. She rejected the proposal, citing her desire to remain near her son.

I am not a criminal, she wrote on her website, which features photos of her behind bars, styled and smiling, alongside updates on her “freedom fight.” The site also documents her interactions with other inmates, including Brian Keller, a former prisoner and fellow athlete with a Brazilian background.

A Public Figure in Legal Limbo

Obenauf’s case has drawn attention due to her fame as a boxer, known as The Golden Girl in her prime. The 2020 murder case involved 19 skull fractures on her husband, with forensic evidence including blood spatter on her shoe. Despite this, she has maintained her innocence, a stance she continues to defend through her online presence.

It is about control.

For now, she remains in Hindelbank, counting down the days of her 18-year term, her fight for autonomy continuing behind bars.