After the attack on a 57-year-old trans woman in a Bremen tram, the police identified ten suspects aged between twelve and fourteen.
At the beginning of September, the victim was insulted and punched in the face by around 15 children and young people on a tram, referring to his gender identity.
The group only left the woman when other passengers intervened.
As part of an operation in the Huchting district, a police patrol noticed a twelve-year-old suspect on Sunday evening, the police announced on Tuesday.
The attack on the tram was caught on video.
Shortly after catching the first suspect, police were able to identify nine other possible suspects, between the ages of 12 and 14.
Alleged perpetrators not of criminal responsibility
As announced by the public prosecutor, the case is being investigated on suspicion of dangerous bodily harm committed jointly.
The four children between the ages of twelve and 13, who have been specifically identified based on the video recordings, are not yet of criminal responsibility.
If the police cannot identify a youth who is at least 14 years old as the perpetrator, the investigation must be stopped.
The public prosecutor's office did not provide any information about the nationality of the suspects.
The "Bild" newspaper, citing a witness, reported that the perpetrators were a group with an Arab or Kurdish background, which had repeatedly attracted attention with its aggression.
The public prosecutor's office did not want to comment on this when asked by the FAZ.