- Eleven years in prison for a student who murdered his ex-girlfriend
Eighteen Years in Prison for Murder and Bodily Harm - That's the Verdict of the Heidelberg Regional Court against an 18-Year-Old Student. He is Accused of Stabbing His Ex-Girlfriend to Death in Their Shared School in Heidelberg in January. The Spokesperson of the Court Announced the Verdict. The Trial Was Held in Camera. The 18-Year-Old Admitted to the Crime at the Beginning of the Trial. The Verdict is Not Yet Final.
The German is Accused of Stabbing the Young Woman Repeatedly with a Knife - Including in the Neck and Chest - on January 25, According to the Court. The 18-Year-Old Died at the Scene of the Crime on a School Ground in St. Leon-Rot, Heidelberg.
Fatal Traffic Accident During Escape
After the Student's Death, the Attacker Drove to Lower Saxony in a Car, as the Court Reported, Referring to the Prosecutor's Office at the Start of the Trial. There, He Crashed into an Uninvolved Vehicle at a Speed of at Least 100 Kilometers Per Hour in Seesen, Pursued by the Police. Both the 18-Year-Old and the Driver of the Other Vehicle Were Injured. The Young Man is Also Accused of Attacking Two Police Officers. The Prosecutor Charged Him with Dangerous Bodily Harm Due to the Accident.
However, These Charges Were Dropped in View of the Severity of the Other Crimes and at the Request of the Prosecutor's Office. The Prosecution Demanded a Youth Sentence of 13 Years for Murder in Its Plädoyer. The Defense Pleaded for Eight Years for Manslaughter.
After the Attack in November, the School Implemented a Contact Ban
The Entire Trial Was Held in Camera Because Part of the Indictment Also Included Bodily Harm from November 2023. At That Time, the Perpetrator Allegedly Injured the Later Killed Student with Punches, According to the Court. At the Time of This Crime, He Was Still 17 Years Old and Therefore a Minor.
According to the Indictment, the Attack in November Occurred Because the Young Woman Wanted to Break Up with Him. He Only Stopped When Her Mother Entered the Room. The Student Sustained Injuries Such as a Nasal Bone Fracture, Fractures of the Malar and Cranial Bones, and Contusions of the Cervical Spine.
The Student Reported the Attack to the Police but Did Not Request a Court-Ordered Contact or Restraining Order. The Police Apparently Contacted the Student Several Times as Part of Threat Assessments. The School Implemented a Contact Ban with Various Measures Within the School. The Perpetrator Was Also a Student.
Students Convicted of Murder in Würzburg and Offenburg
The Brutal Crime at a School is Not an Isolated Incident. Cases of Violence, including Hitting, Kicking, and Sexual Harassment, Have Been Increasingly Reported from Schools in Germany. In Baden-Württemberg, for Example, 2545 Crimes Against Students and Teachers Were Recorded Last Year - an Increase of 13.5%. In Bavaria, the Number of Violent Crimes in Schools Rose by 24.5% to 690 in 2023. In Berlin, the Number of Registered Offenses Increased by Nearly 12% from the Previous Year's High.
Just Last Monday, the Regional Court of Würzburg Sentenced a 15-Year-Old to Eight Years and Six Months in a Youth Prison for Murder. He Shot and Killed a 14-Year-Old Classmate at a School in Lower Franconia in September 2023.
In July, the Offenburg Regional Court sentenced a 16-year-old to eight years and nine months in a juvenile detention center for murder and attempted arson. He had shot a 15-year-old classmate with a pistol at his school on November 9, 2020. The victim died in the hospital. In this case, the prosecution also charged the shooter's parents with negligent homicide and violations of the weapons law.
According to expert Sibylle Winter, violence among children and adolescents has increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While severe violence is rarely seen, the deputy clinic director of the Clinic for Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents at Berlin's Charité reported an increase in emotional violence, such as shouting and insulting, following the incident in St. Leon-Rot. Bullying, for instance, is on the rise.
Winter cited lockdowns with closed schools and remote learning (homeschooling) as contributing factors. Schools play a crucial role in developing social skills, especially for 15-year-olds like the Offenburg perpetrator and 18-year-olds like the convicted in the St. Leon-Rot case, who are navigating the transition from rebellious teens to adults. Parents and schools also serve as potential support systems in this regard.
The Police pursued the 18-year-old after the fatal traffic accident during his escape. The Prosecutor's Office accused him of attacking two Police Officers during this pursuit.
