Nordrhein-Westfälia’s Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) expressed concern over the deadly violence against a 14-year-old in the Sauerland town of Menden. “I am deeply affected by the death of the 14-year-old and alarmed by the increasing willingness to use violence among children and teenagers” said Reul to the news portal T-Online.
The incident occurred on a playground in Menden, where a 14-year-old was stabbed the night before Saturday. The teenager died in the hospital. A 17-year-old was seriously injured but is not in critical condition. Alexis R. is the suspected perpetrator of the crime and fled the scene after the incident. The police are searching for the young man using a photo. According to the police, there was a dispute between the teenagers, during which R. allegedly stabbed the victim. He was already known to the police due to several previous offenses.
Reul spoke about the incident as a societal problem. “The police alone cannot stop this development. Something is seriously wrong somewhere else, such as in the upbringing of children. The influence of the internet is often underestimated” said Reul. “We need to discuss what we as a society can do to prevent such incidents from happening again.”
Menden is part of the Märkischer Kreis in the Sauerland region. The city has approximately 53,000 inhabitants.