Criminality - Student is accused of killing ex-girlfriend - trial starts
The 18-year-old ex-Girlfriend is accused of stabbing her 18-year-old former boyfriend in a room at their shared school: The 18-year-old suspect appeared before the Heidelberg Regional Court nearly half a year after the high school graduate's death. He is charged with murder and grievous bodily harm.
Session postponed after less than an hour
The trial, which takes place behind closed doors, began in the morning, confirmed a court spokesperson. However, the session was postponed less than an hour after the indictment was read due to the illness of the psychiatric expert.
According to the indictment, the suspect allegedly stabbed the young woman multiple times with a meat cleaver - in the neck and heart area. The 18-year-old victim died at the scene on a school playground in St. Leon-Rot near Heidelberg. The suspect then fled in a car - after an accident in Lower Saxony, handcuffs were clicked on.
This case is an extreme example of violence in schools - but not an isolated one. Blows, kicks, sexual assaults: Cases of violence in German schools are becoming more common. In Baden-Württemberg alone, 2545 criminal offenses against students and teachers were recorded last year - an increase of 13.5%. The number of violent crimes at Bavarian schools increased by 24.5% to 690 in 2023. In Berlin, the number of reported crimes at schools reached a new high in 2022, with a 12% increase.
Car accident at 100 kilometers per hour during escape
The suspect in the St. Leon-Rot case had driven to Lower Saxony in a car after the student's death. There, he collided with an uninvolved vehicle in Seesen - pursued by the police - at a speed of at least 100 kilometers per hour. Both the 18-year-old suspect and the driver of the other vehicle were injured. The young man is also accused of assaulting two police officers. The public prosecutor accuses him of grievous bodily harm due to the accident.
The trial is taking place entirely behind closed doors. The reason for this is that part of the indictment also includes a grievous bodily harm charge from November 2023. At that time, the suspect allegedly assaulted the later killed student with fist blows. At the time of this incident, he was still 17 years old and therefore a minor.
According to the indictment, the suspect beat the young woman because she wanted to break up with him. He allegedly stopped only when her mother entered the room. The student suffered a nasal fracture, as well as bruises to the jawbone and the cervical vertebrae.
No court-ordered contact ban
The victim identified the attacker after the fist blows, but did not request a court-ordered contact or approach ban. The police contacted the suspect several times in the context of threatening messages. The school administration imposed contact restrictions within the school. Both the victim and the suspect were high school graduates.
If the suspect is convicted under juvenile law, he faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison, according to court information. If convicted under adult law, he faces life imprisonment. The trial is scheduled for a total of nine hearing days. The proceedings are expected to continue next week Tuesday. The verdict is expected for August 15.
In memory of Mandelbaum
A speaker from the school said shortly before the trial began: "The school community is relieved that the final written and oral Abitur exams for the graduating class have gone well despite the circumstances. At the same time, the school community is relieved that the main hearing for the case is now proceeding swiftly after the incident.
In remembrance of the victim, the school planted a apple tree on the school grounds last week.
A fatal attack also occurred at the gymnasium in St. Leon-Rot just before the incident, causing shock in Baden-Württemberg: A 15-year-old is accused of having shot a classmate at his school with a gun on November 9th of the previous year. The victim died in the hospital. A trial for murder and attempted murder is currently ongoing against the youth. According to the Landgericht Offenburg, the trial is close to conclusion. The verdict is expected to be announced not publicly around 3 p.m. on the 23rd of July. The prosecution has also charged the parents of the alleged shooter, as they announced on Monday: They accuse them of negligent homicide and violations of the Firearms Act.
Violence among children and adolescents has increased due to the Corona-Pandemic, according to an assessment by expert Sibylle Winter. This is evident not only in severe violence, such as the two murder cases in Baden-Württemberg, but also in emotional violence. "There is more shouting, more insults," bullying in particular is on the rise.
Winter named several reasons for this, including lockdowns with closed schools and the so-called homeschooling. Social competencies are particularly acquired in the school environment, among peers. Fifteen-year-olds like the alleged offender in Offenburg and eighteen-year-olds like the suspect in St. Leon-Rot are in an age group where important steps are taken - from the pubertying, sometimes rebellious teenager to the adult. The environment, such as parents and school as potential contact persons, also plays a role here.
- The Public Prosecutor's Office in Offenburg is currently handling the case of a 15-year-old accused of shooting a classmate with a gun, resulting in murder and attempted murder charges.
- During the escape, the suspect in the St. Leon-Rot case collided with an uninvolved vehicle in Seesen, Baden-Württemberg, causing a vehicle accident at a high speed.
- The trial against the 18-year-old suspect for grievous bodily harm and other charges is taking place behind closed doors in the Heidelberg Regional Court due to sensitive information.
- In response to the increase in criminal offenses against students and teachers, such as sexual assaults and physical violence, the Public Prosecutor's Office in Berlin has recently announced stricter measures.
- The 18-year-old suspect is facing a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison if convicted under juvenile law, or life imprisonment if convicted under adult law.
- The school in St. Leon-Rot, where the fatal attack occurred, implemented contact restrictions between the suspect and the victim to ensure safety within the school premises.
- The parents of the alleged shooter in Offenburg are also facing charges, accused of negligent homicide and violations of the Firearms Act by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
- Expert Sibylle Winter, assessing the impact of the Corona-Pandemic on violence among children and adolescents, noted an increase in emotional violence, such as more shouting and insults, often seen in bullying incidents.
- While the court-ordered contact ban was not implemented in the St. Leon-Rot case, the school administration imposed internal restrictions to protect the victim and maintain a safe learning environment.
- The verdict in the trial for Bodily Harm and Sexual assaults in Heidelberg Court is expected on August 15, following nine hearing days and postponements due to illness and the need for expert testimony.
