As the number of juvenile crimes continues to rise, the federal states led by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) are pushing for a new debate on reducing the age of criminal responsibility.
In an interview with the Welt, North Rhine-Westphalia’s Interior Minister, Herbert Reul, emphasized the importance of addressing criminal careers in early childhood. “Our legal system must respond to crimes in early years” he said. “Considering a reduction in the age of criminal responsibility can be a way forward. Dismissing such ideas from the start does not help.”
Saxony’s Interior Minister, Armin Schuster, also a member of the CDU, highlighted the need for a reevaluation of the fundamental principles of criminal prosecution in the face of rising juvenile crime rates. He also proposed a shift in the handling of young adults, aged 18 to 21, advocating for the application of adult criminal law instead of juvenile law.
Susanne Hierl, the right-wing spokesperson of the CDU parliamentary group, emphasized the need for a more severe approach, stating, “It is difficult to understand that even in cases of severe violence, 12- or 13-year-olds face no legal consequences. Children of this age know very well that one must not harm or kill anyone.”
In contrast, Bremen’s Interior Senator and Chairman of the Conference of Interior Ministers, Ulrich Mäurer, a Social Democrat, remains skeptical about the idea of reducing the age of criminal responsibility, citing a lack of evidence that such a move would be effective. “Pedagogical measures are more promising in this area” he said.
The federal government, in its coalition agreement, has announced an investigation into the causes of juvenile crime, which will also examine the effectiveness of various legal responses to juvenile delinquency. However, the Ministry of Justice has yet to finalize the details of the study.