Moped without a license: police are looking for the rightful owner!

Moped without a license: police are looking for the rightful owner!

An incident that makes you think: Some time ago, officers from the Bad Salzungen police station checked a young moped driver in Bad Liebenstein. During this check it turned out that the 14-year-old did not have the required driving license. He also couldn't prove that the moped belonged to him - which created an interesting situation for the police. The moped was seized and the police are still looking for the rightful owner of the vehicle, who should report to the Bad Salzungen police station with appropriate proof. It cannot be ruled out that the incident itself points to increasing concerns about youth crime in Germany, which has also caused a stir in recent years.

Police have already released detailed information about the incident. According to information from Presseportal, the 14-year-old driver was checked at the end of April. Further investigations revealed that the moped currently has an unknown owner. The police are therefore calling on everyone affected to come forward. The public interest in such incidents is noticeable, especially because an increase in juvenile crime has been observed in Germany in recent years. According to reports from Statista, juvenile crime reached a peak in 2024 with almost 13,800 cases, more than twice as many as in 2016.

Focus on juvenile crime

But what is behind these numbers? In addition to the apparent increasing interest in mopeds and other motorized vehicles among young people, there is also an increase in violent crime among young people. The number of unreported crimes appears to be high because, according to the Federal Criminal Police Office, psychological stress, particularly due to the Corona measures, is also a factor that can lead to an increase in youth violence. Young people between the ages of 14 and 17 and adolescents up to the age of 20 are particularly affected.

The majority of young suspects are male, with almost three quarters of those affected in 2024 being male. This statistic raises important questions about prevention and how to deal with young people who could move into a criminal path. Experts are therefore intensively discussing the effectiveness of strict punishments and whether these measures actually help to prevent future crimes.

Overall, the case of the moped driver shows the need to pay more attention to the issue of juvenile crime and young people's own responsibility. It is to be hoped that sensitized schools, communities and families will show young people that there is a better way than falling into a vicious circle of crime and sanctions.

Meanwhile, the police are calling on anyone who owns the moped in question to come forward. If you have any questions or information, you can contact the press office of the Thuringian Police directly: The contact person is Julia Kohl, who can be reached on 03681 32 1503 or by email at pressestelle.lpi.suhl@polizei.thueringen.de.