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Two of the three defendants are waiting in the courtroom for the trial to begin: "In the beginning it was a thirst for adventure"
Photo: Nicolas Armer / dpa
The Bamberg District Court has sentenced three former students from a high school in the city to several months' youth sentences for stealing their Abitur tasks from school.
In his verdict, the judge said it was a planned act with "criminal energy."
Two of the accused broke into the director's office in May 2020, broke into the safe and removed exam papers in German, English and Latin.
For this, the two 19-year-olds each received a youth sentence of nine months for damage to property and theft, with a two-year probation period.
Since the third defendant had left the building before the other two students took their assignments with them, he received a six-month youth sentence for property damage, with a two-year probationary period.
All three are required to participate in a community service project.
"In the beginning it was a thirst for adventure," said one of the accused.
"Recognition" was also a reason.
At the time of the crime, the then 18-year-olds would not have been aware of the consequences.
According to the Bavarian Ministry of Culture, around 33,000 test subjects were given substitute tasks after the act in May 2020.
In court, the three young men apologized to the injured students, the school, the director and the Ministry of Education.
The public prosecutor's office had demanded a one-year youth sentence for all three defendants, suspended on probation.
The verdict is not yet legally binding.
kha / dpa
