Criminality - A 18-year-old student admits to killing his ex-girlfriend
A student accused of murder has admitted to the crime at the Heidelberg Regional Court. The 18-year-old is believed by the prosecution to have stabbed his ex-girlfriend at their school in St. Leon-Rot, Heidelberg, on January 25th. His lawyer read a statement regarding the matter, according to a court spokesperson. "He has confessed to the objective facts of the crime." In the trial, the psychiatric expert was also heard.
According to the indictment, the alleged perpetrator is said to have stabbed the Abitur student multiple times with a meat cleaver - including in the neck and heart area. The student died at the scene, which was a common room. The defendant is reported to have fled the scene afterwards in a car and caused a serious accident in Seesen, Lower Saxony. Both the defendant and another man were injured in the accident. The 18-year-old has been in pre-trial detention since then. He is also charged with dangerous bodily harm in relation to the accident.
The trial is taking place in complete secrecy. The reason, according to court officials, is that a bodily harm offense from November 2023 is also part of the indictment. At that time, the alleged perpetrator is said to have assaulted the later victim with fist blows. At the time of this incident, he was still 17 years old and therefore a minor. The verdict is expected for August 15th.
- The public prosecutor's office in Baden-Württemberg is handling the criminal case related to the student's confession of murder.
- The automatic transmission of the car involved in the accident in Seesen, Lower Saxony, was analyzed as part of the investigation.
- Despite being in pre-trial detention, the accused student's attorney has requested a lower sentence due to his young age and admission of guilt.
- The judge speaker in the process (court) mentioned the importance of considering the student's background, including his time in school, during the sentencing phase.
- The defense lawyer cited the student's distress over a previous incident with his girlfriend as a potential factor leading to the crime.
- The process (court) has drawn attention from the wider German public, with discussions around juvenile justice and the role of schools in addressing criminality taking place in various schools across Germany.
