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CSU Draft Would Put Under-14s Before Court and Lower Juvenile Law Age to 12

A coalition pledge requiring a prior study makes swift legal changes uncertain.

Overview

  • An internal CSU paper proposes a court "accountability procedure" for children under 14, with parents and youth authorities present, allowing judges to order educational measures under uniform standards.
  • The draft would permit juvenile criminal law to apply from age 12 instead of the current threshold of 14.
  • It also calls for tougher penalties for specified offenses, including knife attacks, the use of knockout drops, and group rape.
  • CSU Bundestag members are slated to consider the proposal at their Kloster Seeon retreat, according to reports from Mediengruppe Bayern and dpa.
  • Implementation faces a procedural hurdle because the Union–SPD coalition agreement requires a study on youth violence before any juvenile-justice changes.