Boy nearly beaten to death in Euskirchen

Police in the western town of Euskirchen said on Saturday that they had found three suspects in the case of a 12-year-old boy who was nearly beaten to death. The trio in question were classmates of the victim, authorities said.

On Thursday, a schoolteacher in Euskirchen called the emergency services after the pupil complained of being in severe pain and appeared dazed. After the boy was brought to a local clinic in an ambulance, he had to be airlifted to a larger hospital in nearby Cologne.

German media reported that a local prosecutor had declined to say just how badly the boy was hurt, but that as of Friday his condition was still life-threatening. The attorney also said he could not comment on a possible motive for the attack.

Suspects too young to be tried

The police have already opened a murder investigation into the incident, but their hands may be tied. The three suspects are, like the victim, 12 years old - two years too young to be held accountable by Germany's juvenile criminal justice system.

The German criminal code provides limited recourse for authorities when culprits are under 14 years of age. For violent crimes, it is possible for the police to send minors for psychiatric analysis, which could lead to a perpetrator being remanded into the care of mental health professionals or social services if the doctors deem it advisable – or if there is the threat of a repeat offense.

There is also, in certain cases, the possibility of ordering financial compensation be paid to the victim(s) or their families.

The authorities in Euskirchen said that the three suspects have already been questioned, but refused to give any further information. The strict laws surrounding the rights of minors in Germany mean that very few specific details about such crimes may be made public.