A proposal presented at the CDU’s national conference in Stuttgart calls for lowering the age at which children can be held criminally responsible from 14 to 12 years. The motion, reported by “Bild” (Friday edition) on the basis of an initiative from the Berlin CDU state association, would amend §19 of the German Penal Code. Under the new arrangement, children as young as their twelfth birthday could be brought before a court for criminal liability, provided they possess the required maturity. A judicial “responsibility procedure” would be introduced to ensure that any educational or corrective measures are ordered directly by the court rather than being handled later by the youth welfare office.
Proponents argue that today’s children develop a sense of wrongdoing much earlier thanks to the Internet and social media. They contend that a twelve‑year‑old who knows they are doing something wrong should be held accountable. The motion also highlights that criminal gangs and clan‑style networks specifically exploit the lack of criminal responsibility for minors to recruit them into illicit activities. “Organised crime, including clan structures and criminal actors from abroad, deliberately uses the legal immunity of minors” the proposal states. Those behind the motion warn that violent offences are becoming more extreme and frequent, and they argue that it is unacceptable for victims and their families to witness perpetrators commit brutal crimes without facing any judicial consequences because of age.