Violence in Sinsheim: 14-year-old is said to have murdered 13

Icon: enlarge

Fields and forest in Sinsheim: the alleged crime scene

Photo: Sebastian Gollnow / dpa

A 13-year-old in Sinsheim near Heidelberg was killed out of jealousy according to the investigators' first findings.

The investigation into the motive continued, said Siegfried Kollmar of the Mannheim criminal police.

A 14-year-old is therefore suspected of having murdered the boy with multiple knife stabs on Wednesday.

According to the public prosecutor's office, the suspect came into custody.

Prosecutor Andreas Herrgen explained that the young person was accused of being malicious.

The teenager faces up to ten years youth imprisonment.

So far, he has not given any information about the allegations.

According to the investigation, both had contact with another child who is also said to have been at the scene.

This was also the reason for the alleged jealousy arguments.

However, the investigators did not make details public because the child was under criminal responsibility.

"We still have a lot to investigate."

Siegfried Kollmar from the Mannheim Criminal Police

The 13-year-old was lured to a meeting point at the edge of the forest on Wednesday, said Kollmar.

After a “certain distance”, the 14-year-old is said to have stabbed the boy.

The investigators assume a targeted act that the 14-year-old took a kitchen knife to the meeting.

Presumably there was a short fight.

The criminal investigation officer did not state how many stitches were involved.

"We still have a lot to investigate," said Kollmar.

One is still waiting for the written result of the autopsy, cell phone data will be evaluated.

The dead teenager was found in a field on Wednesday afternoon.

The 14-year-old was arrested in the immediate vicinity of the site.

At this point in time, the alleged attacker was not yet of criminal age.

According to German law, young people between the ages of 14 and 17 are only "of limited legal age".

The Youth Courts Act (JGG) applies to them.

In addition, a young person is only liable under criminal law "if at the time of the act he is mature enough in terms of his moral and intellectual development to see the injustice of the act and to act according to this insight".

So anyone who is still on the intellectual level of a child cannot be punished.

The assessment is usually made by an expert.

On the other hand, anyone younger than 14 is considered a child by law and cannot be prosecuted.

The Lord Mayor of Sinsheim, Jörg Albrecht (independent), was dismayed by the act.

"The consternation is great, that hits a place to the core," he said.

In his nine years at the top of the city, he has never seen anything as bad.

• Read an interview with a psychiatrist who researches young offenders here

Icon: The mirror

wit / dpa