15-year-old suffocates
Murder in Salzgitter: what answers the cell phones of the two suspected boys can give
After the murder of a girl near where the body was found in Salzgitter-Fredenberg, mourners laid flowers and lit candles, among other things (photo from Thursday)
© Julian Stratenschulte / DPA
The police in Salzgitter continue to try to clarify the background and the course of the murder of a schoolgirl. Among other things, the cell phones of the two suspects are evaluated. The date for the victim’s burial has also been set.
The presumed two classmates on a 15-year-old from Salzgitter in Lower Saxony continue to cause bewilderment. Meanwhile, prosecutors and police are trying to find answers to the one big question: Why?
The spokesman for the responsible Braunschweig public prosecutor’s office now gave an insight into the further procedure. Accordingly, investigators evaluate, among other things, the cell phones of the two suspects. The aim is to find out more about the background and course of action, said Hans Christian Wolters of the DPA news agency. The evaluation of chats and other data may also reveal insights into the relationship between the 15-year-old and her alleged murderers or communication between victims and suspects, it said.
Suspicious child from Salzgitter in psychiatric ward
According to the current status of the investigation, the public prosecutor assumes that a 13-year-old and a 14-year-old classmate killed the girl together. One-sided “enmity” is assumed to be the motive. No further details are known. The “Focus” reported, citing several classmates, that the victim had been bullied at school. What the hatred and hostility were based on is so far unclear, the spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office continued.
The 14-year-old suspect is in custody. The public prosecutor accuses him of treacherous murder for base motives. Wolters expected charges within the next three months. The suspect has so far remained silent on the allegation. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison if the court finds that his guilt is particularly serious. The youth is presumed innocent until a possible guilty verdict.
The 13-year-old alleged accomplice has meanwhile been admitted to a psychiatric hospital with the consent of his parents (Read more here). According to German law, the boy is considered a child and therefore not responsible. He will therefore not be prosecuted by means of criminal law (Read more about dealing with children who have become criminals in Germany here).
The 15-year-old A. was reported missing a week ago. Last Tuesday, police officers discovered her body in the undergrowth at a supermarket in Salzgitter-Fredenberg. The autopsy revealed that the girl had been suffocated. The act had caused consternation across Germany. The “Goslarsche Zeitung” reported this Monday that the girl is to be buried in Salzgitter during the week.
Sources: Braunschweig public prosecutor, “Focus”, “Goslar Newspaper”DPA news agency