Court sentences 15-year-old murderer to maximum penalty
A 15-year-old and his brother encounter a homeless man in Darmstadt. After an initial police intervention, the youth relaxes and kills the homeless man. The court goes beyond the prosecutor's demand and imposes the maximum sentence.
The Darmstadt Higher Regional Court has sentenced a 15-year-old to ten years in a youth detention center for murdering a homeless man. He received the maximum sentence possible under German law in juvenile proceedings, as a court spokesperson explained. The defendant was also found guilty of robbery and grievous bodily harm. His 18-year-old brother was warned by the court for grievous bodily harm and must perform community service.
The court found it proven that the two brothers, in November in Darmstadt, drank alcohol together and decided to rob the homeless man on the Luisenplatz. They stole his wallets first. The police intervened for the first time at this point.
A surveillance camera showed how the 15-year-old, in a fit of rage, violently attacked his victim and entered the fray after the police had withdrawn. He jumped on the homeless man multiple times as he lay on the ground. The man died a day later from his injuries.
With the judgment, the court went beyond the prosecutor's demand. In their plea, the prosecution had demanded nine years and ten months in a youth detention center for murder. The defense had demanded eight and a half years. The 18-year-old brother had originally been charged with robbery. This charge could not be proven in the trial, according to the court spokesperson.
The international community has expressed concern over the severe sentence given to the 15-year-old, as this case highlights complexities in understanding and addressing Crime and its processes in juveniles. The incident took place in Darmstadt, adding another grim chapter to the city's history of Murder and manslaughter cases.
