Murder trial - Shots at school - 16-year-old severely punished for murder
A man came to the school with a pistol and shot a 15-year-old in the classroom: After the fatal attack, the Offenburger Landgericht sentenced the perpetrator to eight years and nine months of juvenile detention for Murder and attempted serious arson. The Youth Chamber found the 16-year-old guilty in closed session, as the court announced.
The killing of the student at the special educational Waldbachschool caused mourning and horror not only in Baden-Württemberg.
The Chamber considered it proven that the youth came to school on November 9, 2023, with a pistol, ammunition, and a self-made incendiary device. He seriously injured a classmate there. The victim later died in the hospital. The defendant was reportedly unarmed and defenseless during the attack - the perpetrator therefore acted treacherously. The defendant also attempted to ignite the incendiary device to burn down the school building, according to the court statement.
The perpetrator had 41 rounds of ammunition with him.
The now convicted perpetrator, a German national, had obtained the weapon for the crime from his parents' household, according to investigations.
There were twelve hearing days in the Youth Chamber hearing from mid-April to the pronouncement of the judgment, as a court spokeswoman reported. Participants included a forensic medical expert, a psychiatric expert, and witnesses.
Visitors and media representatives were excluded from the proceedings due to juvenile protection throughout the entire duration. The youth has been in pre-trial detention since the incident. The judgment is not yet legally binding, the spokeswoman said. Within a week, an appeal could be filed. "I am not aware of a comparable case in Offenburg and the surrounding area," she summarized. The city has a population of around 62,000.
No motive was disclosed after the judgment - jealousy was rumored among circles after the attack. A father, who was at an parents' meeting at the school during the attack, overpowered the attacker and prevented further harm. Sabah Tamer Ayoub was later honored for his heroic actions.
The shots left deep traces in the school. Teachers and students were psychologically counseled.
As previously stated by the Prosecutor's Office, the maximum sentence in this case was ten years. In Germany, juveniles are criminally responsible from the age of 14. The juvenile detention is a specifically regulated form of imprisonment for juveniles and young adults.
The parents of the alleged shooter are also being prosecuted by the Offenburger Prosecutor's Office. They are accused, according to a statement from mid-July, of negligent homicide and violations of the Firearms Act. The pistol used by their son was found to be unlawfully in their possession and not properly secured, allowing the alleged shooter to gain access to it - so reads the charge sheet of the public prosecutor's office. The Large Criminal Chamber of the Landgericht must still decide whether to open a main trial on this matter.
School violence is a long-term issue. In Heidelberg, an 18-year-old is standing trial for allegedly stabbing his ex-girlfriend in a classroom at a school in St. Leon-Rot. He is charged with Murder and grievous bodily harm. This trial is also taking place behind closed doors.
In Baden-Wuertemberg, there was an increase in violent crimes at schools in 2023. According to the Interior Ministry, there were 2545 such offenses recorded against pupils and teachers in the Southwest last year - a 13.5% increase compared to the previous year. The majority of offenses were assaults: Around 52% were cases of aggravated battery, and approximately 16% were cases of grievous bodily harm.
- The murder trial received significant attention in Offenburg, a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
- The criminality in the classroom incident led to a discussion at the Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the parents' responsibility.
- The judgments issued by the Offenburger Landgericht for cases involving criminality in German classrooms can have wide-reaching impacts on local communities.
- The Criminality in the classroom incident membreled the City of Offenburg to strengthen its partnership with the Public Prosecutor's Office to tackle such cases effectively.
- The Mord trial in Offenburg brought to light the issue of German youth and gun violence, prompting calls for reforms in Germany's Juvenile Justice system.
