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Koblenz Regional Court: Civil proceedings in the Luise case are imminent

Photo: Fredrik von Erichsen/dpa

Around a year after the violent death of twelve-year-old Luise from Freudenberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, the girl's relatives are suing for compensation and survivors' claims, as the Koblenz regional court announced.

A date for the oral hearing in the civil proceedings has not yet been set.

The plaintiffs are Luise's parents and another relative.

They are also demanding compensation for any future material and immaterial damage from the two underage girls who are considered suspects.

In total, they are demanding at least 50,000 euros in compensation for the parents and survivors' benefits of at least 30,000 euros per plaintiff.

According to the court, one of the defendant girls requested that the lawsuit be dismissed in the written preliminary proceedings.

She did not deny that she and the other girl were involved in killing Luise.

However, according to the court, she denied that the 12-year-old's suffering lasted as long as the plaintiffs stated.

The court announced that minors could also be sued and convicted in civil proceedings.

Parents are generally not legally obliged to take on their children's debts.

The fact that the 12- and 13-year-olds were underage at the time of the crime is irrelevant.

According to the law, minors are considered incapable of committing a crime until they reach the age of seven and are therefore not obliged to pay compensation.

Persons under 18 are only responsible for damages if they have the insight necessary to recognize responsibility.

The court must now decide on this question in the Luise case.

Luise was killed in March 2023.

She was initially considered missing, but a day later her body was discovered in an impassable forest area just behind the Rhineland-Palatinate state border.

Shortly afterwards, investigators announced that the twelve-year-old had fallen victim to a violent crime.

A day later they announced that a 12-year-old and a 13-year-old were suspects.

The age of the suspects in particular caused shock.

In Germany, young people aged 14 and over are considered to be of criminal responsibility.

bbr/AFP