Child stabbed to death

15-year-old stabbed Joel (6) to death: Seven years in prison!

Joel was found on the evening of September 14, 2023 with serious stab wounds in a bush near a soccer pitch.(Bild: kazmulka – stock.adobe.com (Symbolbild))

A 15-year-old teenager was sentenced to seven years and nine months in prison by the Neubrandenburg district court for the violent death of six-year-old Joel from Pragsdorf in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

The court found Geri K. guilty of murder on Thursday. According to the verdict, the Neubrandenburg Regional Court found it proven that the teenager had stabbed little Joel with a 15-centimeter knife. The teenager, who was 14 years old at the time of the crime, was originally charged with manslaughter.

Joel's parents' lawyer and representative of the joint plaintiff, as well as the public prosecutor's office, had pleaded murder. The public prosecutor's office demanded an eight-year juvenile sentence, while the defendant's lawyer pleaded manslaughter and demanded seven years.

The Joel case

Joel was found on the evening of September 14, 2023 with severe stab wounds in a bush near a soccer pitch. All attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.

Case caused consternation in Germany
The now convicted man was arrested around two weeks after the crime and was believed to be the last person to have seen Joel alive. According to the investigators, the teenager became entangled in contradictions and his DNA trace was found on the murder knife. He and the victim's family knew each other from the village.

A comprehensive confession by Geri K. came as a surprise last week. The accused stated that he had acted alone, in contrast to earlier statements. The verdict is not yet final.