A second child murder has rocked Germany after three boys were accused of sexually assaulting and then killing a 10-year-old girl in a children’s home.
The three boys that include two aged 11 and one aged 16 were detained after the girl, 10, was found dead in her room at the St. Josef Children and Youth Welfare Centre in the town of Wunsiedel, Bavaria State, Germany.
The girl had reportedly been dead for several hours when an employee from the centre discovered her body at around 8.45am on Tuesday, 4th April.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office in the town of Hof said in a statement: “An alarmed emergency medical team could only determine the death of the 10-year-old.
“After the first measures taken by the forces of the Wunsiedel Police Inspectorate with the support of the surrounding departments, the criminal police from Hof took over the further investigations.
“Specialists carried out extensive forensic measures in the facility.”
German media revealed that the boys’ arrest followed after an urgent autopsy ordered by the prosecutor showed evidence of ‘third-party liability’.
Third-party liability reportedly refers to bodily injury caused to a person because of a negligent or reckless third party’s actions or omissions.
The statement continued: “For reasons of investigation tactics, no further details can be given at the moment.”
An employee from the facility told German media: “We are all totally shocked and still can’t understand it.”
Police spokesperson Andreas Fleischer said: “We are investigating in all directions.”
Local media said that here were also signs of sexual abuse.
The number of children housed at the facility was not disclosed by German media.
The current incident occurred three weeks after schoolgirl Luise Frisch, aged 12, from the town of Freudenberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia State, was killed by her ‘best friends’ Luisa Halberstadt, 13, and Anna-Marie Hoffman, 12, on 10th March.
Her body was found after it was thrown down a slope from a bike path with more than 30 stab wounds. It was found the next day near a disused train station in Wildenburg, some two kilometres (1.2 miles) from her home.
Investigators believe hurt feelings were likely the motive for the crime, after Luise apparently poked fun at the physique of one of the girls.
Luise’s killers, who are under the age of criminal responsibility, were removed from their families and school and placed in a psychiatric institution, as authorities consider their options.
They reportedly confessed to having researched criminal liability on the internet before committing the harrowing crime.
