After the death of a ten-year-old in a child welfare facility in Wunsiedel, Upper Franconia, investigators identified a suspect: an eleven-year-old boy is said to have been involved in the crime. As the police and prosecutors said, evidence found at the scene of the crime indicates this.
Suspect housed in secure facility
According to the investigators, a hearing of the eleven-year-old is still pending. Further measures would be taken in close coordination with the youth authorities. According to the authorities, since the boy is not of criminal responsibility, he was placed in a secure facility as a preventative measure. Like the girl, he lived in the child and youth welfare facility in Wunsiedel. The police and public prosecutor’s office did not provide any information on any other suspects. Media reports on Wednesday, which the authorities did not confirm, initially spoke of three suspected underage boys between the ages of eleven and 16.
An employee of the specialist youth welfare facility in Wunsiedel found the ten-year-old lifeless in a room on Tuesday morning. A forensic examination revealed signs of external interference.
Herrmann praises the quick success of the investigation
A special “Park” commission consisting of more than 40 people was set up for the investigation, which had worked under “high pressure” on evaluating the traces.
Bavaria’s Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann (CSU), immediately responded by thanking the officials responsible for their “excellent work”. In this case, he spoke of “very difficult and complex investigations”, in particular because a large number of children and young people had to be questioned. “It takes a lot of tact.” According to Herrmann, the investigators’ work is far from over. “Now it’s time to clarify the exact background of this horrific act.”
At the same time, the minister made it clear that he was still very touched by the violent death of the girl: “The suffering of the parents and the bereaved must be immeasurable.” He hopes that the investigative work of the police can at least help to process the terrible loss. The shock is still deep among the children and young people in the Sankt Josef youth welfare center. “There’s still a lot of work to be done for the supervisors here.”