After the violent death of twelve-year-old Luise, the mayor of Freudenberg called for solidarity in a church service on Sunday. "Grief and bewilderment are like a heavy burden on our city," said Nicole Reschke at a regular service in the small town in the Siegerland, which was all about mourning for the girl. "We are united in our pain with the relatives of Luise," emphasized the mayor.
"Is our cohesion in Freudenberg strong enough to endure all this?" asked Reschke. One must stand together, also against "agitation and aggressive better knowledge" from outside, appealed the local politician and warned: "Let us not condemn prematurely!"
Two twelve and 13-year-old girls had confessed to the violence. With several knife wounds, they are said to have killed Luise last week, according to previously announced findings, last Saturday in a remote forest on the border of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. On Sunday, the girl was found dead during a search operation. A memorial service is to take place on Wednesday.
In the case, the police and the public prosecutor's office keep a low profile with information on the background, especially with information on the alleged perpetrators and refer to their privacy protection. The girls are not yet culpable because of their young age and cannot be brought to justice.
Bushman against former criminal responsibility
Meanwhile, Federal Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) has reacted cautiously to calls for a lowering of the age of criminal responsibility. "Any debate about adjustments to criminal law should be conducted with a cool head," he told Bild am Sonntag.
Children under the age of 14 would not be prosecuted, said the Minister of Justice. "However, our legal system already has the means to respond to serious acts of violence committed by children under the age of 14," he stressed.