Overview

• On July 24, Luise’s parents and a relative lodged a civil suit at Koblenz seeking more than €170,000 in pain, suffering and funeral costs from her two friends aged 12 and 13.
• At the start of the main hearing, a judge revealed that forensic experts found 74 stab wounds and that chat logs showed the attack was premeditated.
• The initial settlement hearing ended without agreement after one defendant admitted joint participation while both parties contested the length of the victim’s suffering and the amount of compensation.
• The court has scheduled video-conference proceedings with the public excluded for defendants’ testimony and has yet to set a date for the final judgment.
• The lawsuit highlights a legal void under German law that prevents criminal prosecution of under-14s while allowing civil claims against juvenile offenders.