14-year-old killed Schoolboy in Germany sentenced to eight and a half years in prison

A 14-year-old shoots another boy in the schoolyard in Germany. He has now been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for murder.

Following the killing of a peer in a school playground in Lohr, Franconia, a 14-year-old who was 14 at the time of the crime has been sentenced to a juvenile sentence of eight and a half years. The Würzburg district court found the accused guilty of murder on Monday, according to a spokesperson. He had shot his victim in September.

The court thus fell only slightly short of the demand of the public prosecutor's office and joint plaintiffs. They had requested a conviction for murder and a prison sentence of eight years and nine months. In their view, the perpetrator acted insidiously because the fatal shot was fired from behind. The defense had requested that the youth be sentenced to six years in prison for manslaughter.

Proceedings in camera

According to the spokeswoman, the juvenile court considered it proven that the crime was planned and that the accused acted with direct intent. The victim was helpless and defenceless, so that the court was convinced that the murder criterion of malice aforethought was met. The chamber considered the defendant's statements in the proceedings to be refuted.

The trial was held in camera due to the defendant's young age. According to the court, the teenager apologized to the bereaved in his last words and said that he was "incredibly sorry for everything".