NAfter the violent death of six-year-old Joel in a small town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the teenager is on trial for manslaughter. The presiding judge opened the hearing before the Neubrandenburg District Court on Tuesday.
Due to the young age of the defendant, the trial will be held behind closed doors. He was 14 years old at the time of the crime. Now he faces up to ten years in prison. At the beginning of the trial, five witnesses should be questioned – said the spokesperson of the district court from Joel's environment.
The State Prosecutor's Office accuses the teenager of hitting Joel several times in the face and stabbing him seven times with a knife with a blade of about 15 centimeters on September 14 last year in the municipality of Pragsdorf near Neubrandenburg. The boy died, which the defendant, according to the state prosecutor, at least approved.
Nothing is known yet about the motive. It remains to be seen whether the defendant answers the charges during the trial. He has been in custody since September 26. After the start, six additional continuation dates are scheduled for the trial.
The prosecutor's office in Neubrandenburg is also investigating the defendant's 17-year-old brother. The spokesperson of the State Prosecutor's Office confirmed this on Tuesday. After the teenager was charged, the state prosecutor's office received a tip and opened an investigation into his brother.
“Ostsee-Zeitung” had previously reported. The State Prosecutor's Office did not release further details about the proceedings. They do not want to jeopardize the investigations that have started or the ongoing process. According to information, the defendant's brother is not in custody.