12-year-old suffers gunshot wound-act of revenge among young people?

12-year-old suffers gunshot wound-act of revenge among young people?

Dietingen, Deutschland - On December 15, 2024, Dietingen came to a tragic incident in which the 12-year-old Damian was seriously injured. He was shot in his head by a 14-year-old friend with a pistol. This act of violence happened in the perpetrator's apartment, where two invited pistols were apparently ready. Damian was put into a coma after the incident and had to undergo emergency operation to avoid possible brain bleeding. The ball had destroyed its right eye and escaped through the left temple, whereby the optic nerve of the left eye was also irreparably damaged. As [Swabian] reports, Damian returned to his family in the clinic after over four months in the clinic in May 2025, but he remains blind.

Currently there are ambiguities about the exact processes of the incident. Although Damian can remember parts of the event, he is not possible with meaningful communication. The indictment indicates that it was an act of revenge, since the relationship between Damian and the defendant's sister had ended. The 14-year-old, who committed the crime, is now to answer to the Rottweil district court in June. He threatens a possible prison sentence of up to ten years, with the procedure will take place to the exclusion of the public. The judgment is expected for mid -July.

Legal framework for young people

In Germany, the following applies to crimes committed by young people. This takes into account that the personal development of young people has not yet been completed, which means that they often do not have the same responsibility as adults. The goal of youth criminal law is to prevent renewed delinquency instead of mere punishment. Complex factors such as social disadvantage, experiences of violence and deviant friends play an important role in the evaluation of crimes by the youth court, as the [Federal Ministry of Justice] explains.

The Youth Court Act (JGG) stipulates that the perpetrator's age and level of development must be taken into account. Young people between the ages of 14 and 18 and adolescents up to the age of 21, who still show youth behavior in their development, fall under this legal framework. The measures that can be taken by youth courts range from educational measures to juvenile sentences that can even be imprisoned for adolescents.

prevention of youth crime

The Federal Youth Ministry deals intensively on the prevention of child and youth crime by developing strategies for action and stimulating well-founded discussions. The data show that a majority of suspect children and adolescents only become delinquent once, while a small part commits several serious crimes. In order to combat the causes of youth crime, numerous concepts for violence prevention were established that strengthen the cooperation between child and youth welfare, school, police and judiciary. This is particularly relevant because the 14-year-old perpetrator may have grew up in a difficult social environment, as [Federal Ministry for Family] emphasized.

The social challenges with which many young people are faced with shed light on the need for early preventive measures. These should not only react to the punished acts, but also avoid future, potentially violent acts.