Attempted robbery of children in Schönau – police are looking for witnesses!

Attempted robbery of children in Schönau – police are looking for witnesses!

There was a threatening incident in the Schönau district of Leipzig on Sunday evening that alarmed the neighborhood. At around 9:20 p.m., an unknown man approached two children, ages 12 and 13, and demanded valuables. He threatened the two with a weapon. The unknown perpetrator is described as around 1.80 meters tall and slim, with black-brown, medium-length curly hair and a short goatee. He was dressed in a black sweater, black long pants with a brand logo and black brand shoes. The incident brought the police to the scene, who are now investigating attempted aggravated robbery and are urgently looking for witnesses. They are asked to report to the criminal police at Dimitroffstrasse 1 or by phone on (0341) 96646666, as the LVZ reports.

A similar incident occurred on Friday afternoon. Three boys aged 9, 10 and 12 were seen carrying a knife on the Street of October 18th. The little ones asked other children and young people between the ages of 13 and 15 to give them money, with one of the boys backing up his threat with a knife. Fortunately, the threatened children were able to escape and were unharmed. The police quickly became aware of the boys and handed them over directly to their parents. Since the actors are still too young to be prosecuted, this happened without any criminal consequences. The Mitteldeutsche Zeitung reports on this alarming development.

Children and juvenile crime in focus

Although such incidents are not new, they raise questions about the current situation of juvenile crime in Germany. A peak of around 13,800 cases was recorded in 2024, which is more than twice as high as in 2016. This affects not only young people between the ages of 14 and 17, but also adolescents between the ages of 18 and 20. Although the total number of young suspects has fallen by around 6 percent, the issue remains explosive. Experts from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) attribute the increase, among other things, to psychological stress due to the Corona measures and specific risk factors among young people seeking protection, as Statista shows.

What is particularly striking is the high proportion of young males among the suspects. In 2024, almost three quarters of young offenders were male, and the proportion of men under the age of 21 who were convicted in court is around 84 percent. This development has resulted in a broad discussion about the effectiveness of punitive measures and the reduction of criminal responsibility. The need for increased prevention, especially through child and youth welfare, is becoming increasingly louder in order to interrupt criminal lives and curb the dangerous trend.

The current events in Leipzig are an urgent wake-up call that more must be done to ensure the safety of our children and young people. Calling on the public to help is an important measure to avoid such incidents in the future. It remains to be hoped that the police investigation will provide information about the background to the crimes and those responsible can be held accountable.