Trial in Offenburg
Shooting at school: 15-year-old in court for murder
Candles and flowers lie in front of the entrance to the Waldbachschule. photo
© Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa
Fear and horror reigned at a school in Offenburg in November. A student died after an attack. The murder trial against the alleged perpetrator has now begun. What is known about his motive?
A good five months after the fatal shooting at a school in Baden The suspected shooter is on trial in Offenburg on suspicion of murder. The trial against the 15-year-old began today in a youth chamber of the local regional court, a spokeswoman confirmed. Because of the defendant’s age, the public is excluded. A verdict is not expected until July at the earliest.
The teenager, who is in custody, is charged with murder and attempted murder. According to the investigation, he is said to have shot a classmate of the same age with a pistol at his school in Offenburg on November 9th last year. The victim died a short time later in hospital. A motive for the violent act had not yet become clear – there was talk in circles at the time of jealousy.
School management: “The sensitivity is extremely high”
The student’s violent death also triggered nationwide sadness and horror. Statements from the management of the Waldbach School give an idea of how deep the shock still is. It was said that the start of the process was a great concern for the school community. “The sensitivity is extremely high,” reported the management, as the responsible Freiburg regional council said in response to a dpa request. “Teachers and school social workers try to reflect on and absorb the students’ feelings, memories and fears through conversations.” Since the violent act, students and teachers at the special education school have been receiving psychological support.
According to the investigation, the suspect, a German, had 41 rounds of ammunition with him. The weapon used in the crime came from the parents’ household. The teenager is also said to have tried to set off an incendiary device in the classroom and then in the stairwell, but was unsuccessful.
Man overpowered suspected attacker at the scene
A father, who was at the school for a parent-teacher meeting during the violence, intervened in a situation that was characterized by fear and horror. Sabah Tamer Ayoub was later recognized for his heroic efforts. According to his own statements, Ayoub asked the 15-year-old to put the weapon on the ground. “I wanted to do something before he went out.” He overpowered the suspected gunman and held him on the ground for about five minutes until the police arrived. Ayoub said he had the impression that the teenager “wanted to do something else.”
Witnesses and a psychiatric expert have been invited to the trial. Visitors and media representatives are not admitted due to the protection of minors. The regional court only wants to report on the outcome of the proceedings in “appropriate time”.
If convicted, the 15-year-old could face a youth sentence of between six months and ten years, according to the public prosecutor’s office. In Germany, young people aged 14 and over are of criminal responsibility.
Investigations also against the parents
The investigations against the parents of the alleged perpetrator have not yet been completed. This concerns suspicion of negligent homicide and alleged violations of the weapons law, as the public prosecutor’s office announced.
Violence at schools is also an ongoing issue in the southwest. There were over 2,800 victims last year, most of them students, but also over 140 teachers, as the state Ministry of the Interior recently reported. The number of cases rose by almost 14 percent compared to the previous year.
At the end of January, a fatal knife attack on a student shocked the community of St. Leon-Rot near Heidelberg. A then 18-year-old student is suspected of having killed the victim of the same age with a knife. He was arrested in Lower Saxony a few hours after the crime.
The number of underage criminals is increasing
There is a worrying trend nationwide that the number of underage criminals continues to increase. In the year before last, 13.4 percent of all suspects belonged to the group of children and young people. According to crime statistics, their share rose to 13.8 percent last year.
In Offenburg the bitter realization is that even with the best prevention, cases like the violent attack last November cannot be avoided. “Checks such as those carried out at airports are unimaginable in schools,” summed up the management of the Waldbachschule.