Murder of 12-year-olds in Germany: That’s what’s happening to the suspects now When the scammer cheats – “Catch me if you can” would usually be a lie

This case is currently shocking the whole of Germany: in Freudenberg, a small town near Siegen in North Rhine-Westphalia, two girls are said to have murdered 12-year-old Luise. Her body, found in a bush embankment, was covered in numerous knife wounds, according to police, the seventh grader bled to death. The two girls, aged 12 and 13, confessed to killing Luise.

The fact that the alleged perpetrators are still children makes the crime particularly disturbing and pushes the judiciary to its limits. How should one deal with suspects who cannot be prosecuted for the crime because of their young age?

watson has summarized the answers to these and other pressing questions below.

What happened to Luise in Freudenberg?

Twelve-year-old Luise left a friend’s house in Freudenberg at 5:30 p.m. last Saturday. She then disappeared on her way home and the parents called the police at 7:45 p.m.

With sniffer dogs, drones and a helicopter, the agents searched a forest area that Luise had to cross on the way home. After information from the population, a police dog handler found Luise’s body near a bicycle path on Sunday.

The detectives tracked down the suspect girls because their statements from an initial interrogation contradicted those of other interrogators. They were therefore interrogated again on Monday in the presence of bailiffs and psychologists. Faced with the contradictions, they would have finally confessed to the crime.

What was the motive behind the murder?

The children knew each other, the responsible detectives said at a press conference on Tuesday. However, where from was not disclosed. The motive for the crime was not disclosed. In general, the authorities remarkably reticent with information. This is because the alleged perpetrators are still children themselves and need to be protectedsaid the chief public prosecutor in Koblenz, Mario Mannweiler. He only said so much:

The number of stitches on Luise’s body suggested that “some emotions were involved”. According to media reports, there was a dispute between the children before the crime, but this has not been confirmed. The alleged perpetrators are not known to the police and have therefore not yet committed any other crimes.

What the police need to find out

In addition to the still outstanding question about the motive, So far, there is no trace of the murder weapon either. In addition, it is still unclear what Luise was doing in the impassable area where her body was found. To get home, she would have to walk in the opposite direction.

The identity of the alleged perpetrators is also kept secret by the authorities to protect them. On Tiktok, some users meanwhile indicate that they have identified the two. Messages from the affected accounts are currently being commented on with numerous hate messages.

What punishment awaits the suspects

From a purely criminal point of view, the two alleged perpetrators have no consequences. Because they are under the age of 14, they cannot be prosecuted for their crimes. The law assumes that children are not yet sufficiently aware of the consequences of their actions. This applies even to crimes as serious as murder or manslaughter.

In this case, the youth welfare office in Siegen is now responsible, which will take care of the two girls and their families. On Wednesday it was announced that they had already been accommodated “outside the domestic environment” as a first step. In addition, the children are not currently attending their previous schools, according to the accompanying report from the office.

According to experts, what measures the Youth Care Agency is taking now depends on the individual case. It is conceivable that a child will receive psychiatric treatment, possibly in a closed institution. Parents can also receive parenting assistance or the child can be placed in a home or foster family. However, if the parents are against a divorce, it is difficult to take the child away from them due to the high legal hurdles.

Public prosecutor Mannweiler also explained on Tuesday that, in addition to parents, there is now a particular demand for specialists from psychology and psychiatry. “The real work is just beginning,” said Mannweiler.