vThe trial of three 15- and 16-year-old boys who allegedly murdered a homeless man in Horn-Bad Meinberg at the end of October began at the Detmold District Court on Monday. According to the prosecutor's office, the trio killed the 47-year-old man with punches and knives and filmed the crime with their mobile phones. Due to considerations of youth protection, the main session will be held behind closed doors.

According to the State Prosecutor's Office, three students met in the kindergarten on the evening of October 25 and consumed alcohol and other intoxicating substances. During the evening, a later victim happened to come along. According to the prosecutor's office, the young people and the homeless man talked harmlessly at first, then the situation escalated for unknown reasons.

Cellphone video shows two of the boys beating the homeless man so hard that he fell down where they were holding him. The third boy pulled out a knife and stabbed the man at least four times. The three boys fled the scene, ignoring the dying man. The next day, a passerby found the dead man.

Several hundred attended the spontaneous memorial event

The homicide squad at Bielefeld police headquarters tracked down the suspects using cell phone film. The boys sent the film to friends via messenger. One of the receivers immediately informed the police. The incident caused horror in Horn-Bad Meinberg. Two days after the crime, several hundred citizens took part in a spontaneous memorial event at the crime scene.

The chamber has called 14 witnesses. The testimony of three court-appointed psychiatric experts is likely to be particularly important because they are supposed to assess the defendant's guilt. The verdict may come as early as Wednesday. Even if the court finds murder, the three defendants face a maximum of ten years in prison for juvenile crimes.