Police and youth welfare office explain: This is what happens to children who commit crimes

When children become violent, the police and youth welfare offices take over. © Dpa

A 13-year-old recently attacked a senior citizen in Unterhaching. He will not be prosecuted. The police and youth welfare office explain what happens to children who commit crimes.

The murder of twelve-year-old Luise from Freudenberg at the beginning of March has shaken the whole of Germany. Particularly shocking: Two children are said to have committed the cruel act, girls aged just twelve and 13 years. The case also sparked a debate about whether the age limit of criminal responsibility should be lowered. This is because children under the age of 14 cannot be brought to justice for their actions. According to case law, they are not under the age of criminal responsibility.

Children also commit crimes in the district of Munich. It was only in mid-April that a 13-year-old attacked an 85-year-old at the S-Bahn station in Taufkirchen. He, too, cannot be punished by law. But the young age of the perpetrators is not a free pass, nor does it mean that the state will remain inactive. This is made clear by the police and youth welfare office in the district and explain how to proceed in such cases.

Policeman: "Whether we forward the case depends on the crime and the environment"

In the past year, the staff of the general youth and family welfare service had a lot to do. A total of 127 cases were reported by the police to the department of the Youth Welfare Office. So far this year, 31 notifications have been received. The majority of the children were between twelve and 13 years old. Whether the number of crimes committed by children has increased, the youth welfare office and the police can not answer. There are no comparative figures from previous years.

If a child is caught committing a crime, it is initially the responsibility of the police. "Whether we forward the case depends on the crime and the environment," explains Stefan Schraut, head of the Oberschleissheim police department. The decision is usually made by the responsible youth officer of the respective department. "He is always consulted in such cases and informs the child's parents."

Petty offences are examined individually

According to Schraut, the youth officer pays attention to certain criteria. "We look at whether the child is in precarious circumstances and what crime is in the room," says the First Police Chief Commissioner. In the case of robbery, sexual or even homicide, the criminal investigation department and the youth welfare office immediately take the lead. Petty offences are examined on an individual basis.

If the Youth Welfare Office is informed by the police about a crime, the procedure initially depends on how serious the crime is. If, for example, a child has stolen chewing gum or a chocolate bar in the supermarket, the family receives a friendly letter with information on counselling services, Höhne knows. In the case of repeat offenders or serious offenses, the letter of invitation becomes more urgent. "There are already fixed dates for consultations on the invitation," emphasizes department head Sandra Höhn. As examples, she mentions offenses such as assault, drug trafficking or threats. "Even if no criminal measures are initiated, it is particularly important to us to offer parents advice," reports Höhn.

"They're immediately on the mat": The problem is often the parents

Most often, however, the police and the youth welfare office have to deal with shoplifting. The young thieves are generally peaceful towards the officers, Schraut reports. "There are always some that are more or less problematic. This has been the case before." Rather, the vehement rejection of guilt by parents has increased significantly. "They're immediately on the mat. If the child has made a mistake, then society or the police are to blame because we would have traumatized the child," says Schraut frustrated. "A little more responsibility would be desirable."

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The police chief sees counselling and prevention services as an important building block to ensure that children do not commit further crimes or become perpetrators in the first place. "The point is that we offer our support in such cases." This is particularly evident in the large number of different preventive measures taken by the police in schools and kindergartens.

You can find more news from the district of Munich here.