Four young men are said to have stabbed a 15-year-old to death in Cologne – because of debts and an incriminating statement. The trial starts emotionally, with the victim’s mother insulting the defendants.
The trial of a suspected revenge killing of a 15-year-old by a group of young men began with tumult at the Cologne regional court. As the first defendant was led into the courtroom, he was met with insults from the victim’s mother and other relatives in the audience area. The presiding judge had the room cleared. The trial against a total of four defendants finally began more than half an hour late.
In the case, the public prosecutor’s office charged a 19-year-old, two 20-year-olds and a 27-year-old with joint murder for base motives and deprivation of liberty resulting in death. The motive for the crime is said to have been the victim’s debts to the defendants and “anger and revenge” because of an incriminating statement made by the 15-year-old against two of the accused before the Cologne district court in a drug trafficking trial, as the indictment said.
Two of the defendants – the 19- and 27-year-olds – are said to have attacked the teenager at gunpoint in front of a bar in Cologne on the night of March 10th. “From there they took their victim to the Mülheim harbor area, which was within walking distance,” said the public prosecutor when reading out the indictment.
The two 20-year-olds then joined the group in a remote area of the port. Following a joint crime plan, they are said to have killed the 15-year-old with eight stab wounds. The three Germans and the 27-year-old Turk are then said to have “laid the victim, who they had stripped down to his underpants, on the edge of the sidewalk” near the harbor basin, the public prosecutor said. They are said to have burned the victim’s clothing a short time later to remove traces.
Debt and an incriminating statement in court
The defendants are said to have dealt marijuana. According to the prosecution, the 15-year-old owed them 700 euros. He is also said to have incriminated two of the defendants in the district court about a month before the crime. The 15-year-old was himself accused of trafficking marijuana in the trial – and wanted to get “a lighter sentence” by saying so, the indictment said.
The co-prosecutor for the victim’s parents and sister told journalists: “I am of the opinion that the deceased had decided to leave the narcotics sector. And that became his downfall.” To draw a line in the sand, that meant the 15-year-old had to testify in court “and also name names.”
Defendants deny joint murder plan
The three defendants, who spoke through their defense lawyers on the first day of the trial, denied having a common plan to kill. The 27-year-old had his defense attorney explain that they “just wanted to scare the 15-year-old and then leave him alone.” But the 19-year-old first stabbed the boy in the leg with a knife and later also in the chest. Although he was nearby, he was surprised by the 19-year-old’s actions.
The two 20-year-olds had their defense lawyers explain that they were neither involved nor present in the crime, which the 27-year-old confirmed in his statement. However, one of the 20-year-olds confessed to later getting the grill lighter to burn the victim’s clothes.
dpa/fgk
