crime
Death of 6-year-old Joel – trial against young people begins
Angel figurines and memorabilia stand near the spot where Joel was found with stab wounds on September 14, 2023. photo
© Christian Johner/dpa
A teenager is said to have beaten a six-year-old in a village in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and stabbed him several times. The boy dies. The trial against the teenager now begins.
The public prosecutor’s office accuses the 14-year-old at the time of the crime of hitting Joel in the face several times on September 14th last year in the municipality of Pragsdorf near Neubrandenburg and stabbing him seven times with a knife with a blade of around 15 centimeters long. The boy died, which the defendant at least accepted with approval, according to the public prosecutor.
The brutal act is said to have taken place in the bushes at the football field in the small village in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Months later, angel figures, memorabilia and a larger cross still stand where Joel died.
The suspect has been in custody for almost five months
According to the district court, the suspect has been in custody since September 26th. He had become entangled in contradictions and his DNA trace was also found on the murder knife. During the time in custody, the teenager’s family moved away from Pragsdorf, according to police.
According to a report, the young person is responsible. “Based on the results of the accused’s forensic psychiatric and developmental psychology assessment, the public prosecutor’s office is convinced of his criminal responsibility,” said a press release from the public prosecutor’s office a few weeks ago. However, she also pointed out that the presumption of innocence applies to the young accused until the legal conclusion of the proceedings.
Around 40 witnesses are to be interviewed
The Joel case caused a nationwide stir. The question of why the six-year-old had to die had not been answered until the day the trial began. It remains to be seen whether the defendant will respond to the allegations in court.
According to the court, around 40 witnesses and five experts will be interviewed throughout the trial. At the beginning, five witnesses are invited. After the start of the trial, six continuation dates are planned.