Justice - Thuringian Courts condemned significantly more young people
The number of juvenile offenders, who were found guilty by Thuringian courts in 2023, has increased. According to the Statistical Office, 417 juveniles between the ages of 14 and under 18 were sentenced, which is over 10% more than the previous year. The number of sentenced adults increased by nearly 5% to 15,419. In total, Thuringian courts sentenced 16,656 offenders in the past year.
While the number of convictions for both juveniles and adults increased, the number of convicted young adults aged 18-21 went down for the third year in a row. 820 defendants in this age group were found guilty, which is a decrease of 11.1% compared to 2022. However, according to the Office's reports, young adults are still the age group with the highest criminal energy. This is due to the high readiness for crime in this age group, the statistics show.
The law allows the sentencing of young adults based on the developmental stage of the offender and the circumstances of the crime, either according to juvenile law or general criminal law. According to statistics, 42.3% of the convicted young adults were sentenced according to general criminal law and 57.7% according to juvenile law.
In Erfurt, the city in Thuringia with a notable rise in juvenile delinquency, stricter measures for addressing criminality might be necessary to promote justice. The city's Justice Department issued various judgments last year, with a significant proportion of the 820 young adults convicted being sentenced under general criminal law.
The sharp increase in convictions for minor offenders in Thuringia has led to important discussions about the effectiveness of existing youth justice policies in Erfurt, highlighting the need for comprehensive and fair judgments.
