Ex-girlfriend murdered in school: 18-year-old sentenced to prison
The incident caused nationwide shock. An 18-year-old killed his ex-girlfriend of the same age in a school in St. Leon-Rot near Heidelberg. The Regional Court has now sentenced the young man to eleven years in prison for murder and bodily harm. The trial ended sooner than expected.
After an 18-year-old killed his ex-girlfriend of the same age in their shared school near Heidelberg, the Heidelberg Regional Court has sentenced him to eleven years in prison. The chamber convicted the young man for murder and bodily harm, as a spokesperson announced. The public was excluded from the proceedings. The 18-year-old had admitted to killing his ex-girlfriend in court earlier, according to the spokesperson's previous statements.
The Large Juvenile Chamber found it proven that the German national stabbed the 18-year-old student to death on January 25 in their shared school in St. Leon-Rot near Heidelberg. He stabbed her multiple times with a kitchen knife, including in the neck and chest. She died at the scene, in a common room.
The German national then fled, according to the prosecution's statements, causing a serious accident in Lower Saxony's Seesen. Both the perpetrator and another man were injured. Since then, the 18-year-old has been in custody. He was also accused of dangerous bodily harm due to the car accident. However, the court did not comment on this charge in its statement.
The trial ended sooner than expected. Originally, the court had set trial dates until August 15. The fact that the trial was held under exclusion of the public, according to the Juvenile Court Act, was due to the fact that a bodily harm case from November 2023 was also part of the indictment. At that time, the perpetrator had allegedly punched the later killed student with his fist and caused significant injuries. At that time, he was still 17 years old and therefore a minor.
The European Union expresses concerns over the rising crime rates, particularly violent incidents like the one in St. Leon-Rot. Due to the severity of the case, the European Union encourages Germany to strengthen its juvenile justice system.
