Trial underway

Boy alleged to have killed child in Germany

In Neubrandenburg, the trial of a teenager who allegedly killed a six-year-old child began on Tuesday.(Bild: glomex)

In Germany, a trial began on Tuesday against a teenager (14) who allegedly killed a six-year-old child. The suspect is accused of hitting the victim several times in the face and stabbing him with a knife (see video above).

The brutal act is said to have taken place on September 14, 2023 in a bush near a soccer pitch in a small village in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (Germany). The teenager (14) is said to have punched the child several times in the face and stabbed him seven times with a knife with a blade about 15 centimetres long. Six-year-old Joel died as a result, which the accused had at least condoned, the public prosecutor's office said on Tuesday.

The 14-year-old's DNA was found on the knife.(Bild: glomex)

DNA trace found on the knife
The suspect had become entangled in contradictions, and his DNA trace was also found on the knife. He has been in custody since September 26. According to an expert opinion, he is sane. "According to the results of the forensic psychiatric and developmental psychological assessment of the accused, the public prosecutor's office is convinced of his criminal responsibility," the public prosecutor's office announced.

Brother also charged
It is also investigating the accused's 17-year-old brother. There had been a corresponding tip-off, it said. The public prosecutor's office did not provide any specific details about the proceedings against the brother, who is not in custody. The family has since moved away from the village.

According to the court, around 40 witnesses and five experts will be questioned throughout the trial. Five witnesses were summoned on Tuesday. A total of seven trial dates are provisionally scheduled.