Trial over the violent death of Joel: verdict against 15-year-old expected

process
After confession about Joel’s death: verdict against 15-year-old expected

The Neubrandenburg Justice Center. photo

© Stefan Sauer/dpa/archive image

The violent death of six-year-old Joel in the community of Pragsdorf near Neubrandenburg caused consternation nationwide. The verdict is now to be made in the trial against a young person.

More than a dozen trial days since February, over 50 witnesses and surprising twists: the trial of the killed six-year-old Joel The verdict is to be announced in Pragsdorf near Neubrandenburg on Thursday. The hearing took place behind closed doors due to the age of the 15-year-old defendant. Journalists are allowed to announce the verdict.

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Joel’s death: teenager confessed in court

Last week, the teenager’s comprehensive confession caused a surprise. According to the representative of Joel’s parents, lawyer Christine Habetha, the defendant – unlike before – said that he had acted alone.

According to the prosecution, the then 14-year-old allegedly hit Joel in the face several times in the bushes at the football field in Pragsdorf last September and stabbed him with a knife. According to previous information, the teenager had become entangled in contradictions, and his DNA trace was also found on the murder knife. There were still angel figures, memorabilia and crosses where Joel died.

At the beginning of April, after a long silence, the defendant made a partial confession and spoke of the involvement of another person who was not his brother. It became known shortly after the trial began that the public prosecutor’s office had also initiated investigations against him.

The court’s decision to release the defendant from custody also caused a stir. According to a statement at the time, there was no reason for detention. The public prosecutor’s office lodged an objection, and the Rostock Higher Regional Court overturned the decision.

The teenager was originally charged with manslaughter. According to Habetha, the public prosecutor’s office has pleaded for murder and is demanding an eight-year youth sentence. The lawyer demanded a maximum sentence of ten years, including for murder, and the reservation of preventive detention. The defendant’s defense attorney pleaded for manslaughter and demanded seven years.

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