crime
Joel case: Investigations against the defendant’s older brother
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 on trial for allegedly killing a six-year-old in a village in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. It is now known that investigations are underway against the defendant’s brother.
The public prosecutor’s office is investigating the 17-year-old Brother of the defendant in the case of the killed six-year-old Joel. This was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Neubrandenburg public prosecutor’s office.
The investigations against the brother are related to the case, as the spokeswoman said when asked. After the charges were brought against the 14-year-old at the time of the crime, the public prosecutor’s office received a tip and initiated an investigation against the brother, it was said. The “Ostsee-Zeitung” had previously reported.
A trial against the then 14-year-old for manslaughter began in the regional court on Tuesday. Because of the defendant’s young age, this takes place behind closed doors. He faces a prison sentence of up to ten years.
The public prosecutor’s office accuses the teenager 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 around 15 centimeters long. The boy died, which the defendant at least accepted with approval, according to the public prosecutor.
The public prosecutor’s office did not provide any specific details about the proceedings against the older brother. It was said that they did not want to jeopardize the investigations and the ongoing process. According to the information, the defendant’s brother is not in custody. In addition, the presumption of innocence applies.