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Prosecutors Drop Case Against 13-Year-Old in Paderborn Clinic Stabbing

Her age below Germany’s criminal threshold leaves accountability to negligence inquiries, with court-ordered treatment continuing.

Overview

  • The General Prosecutor’s Office in Düsseldorf closed the criminal probe because the girl is under 14 and therefore not criminally responsible.
  • In mid‑August the 13‑year‑old allegedly took a kitchen knife in a Paderborn youth psychiatric clinic and stabbed a caregiver in the back, causing serious injuries.
  • The terrorism unit handled the case after authorities classified the girl as an Islamist threat following rapid online radicalization reported earlier this year.
  • Police had warned the clinic to keep her away from knives, and an assigned guard was not in the kitchen at the time of the attack.
  • Prosecutors in Paderborn are investigating three individuals on suspicion of negligent bodily harm, and the girl remains in a closed facility under a court order until 2026.