Recommendations of the Editorial team
In the Netflix mini series “Adolescence”, 13-year-old Jamie Miller is arrested and brought to justice for the murder of his classmate Katie Leonard. The series is currently one of the most streams and has triggered a broad social discussion in Great Britain.
It is primarily about the effects of social media on young people and the need for prevention measures. The intensive action – four episodes, each with the appearance, only turned in one take – not only illuminates the legal aspects, but also the social and psychological factors that could have led to the act, in particular the influence of toxic masculinity images.
Politicians and educational experts are now discussing possible regulations and the role of educational institutions in the mediation of media literacy.
“Adolescence” and the murder question
“Adolecence” also raises questions about the criminal responsibility of young people for German spectators. In the United Kingdom, the minimum age for feasibility in England, Wales and Northern Ireland is 10 years; It is 12 years in Scotland. This means that children can be prosecuted from this age.
Young criminals are usually negotiated before special youth courts (Youth Courts). In the event of serious crimes such as murder, however, the case can be transferred to a crown court (jury). If a young person of the murder is found to be guilty, there is a risk of an indefinite prison sentence with a defined minimum duration duration, which varies depending on the severity of the case.
However, the following applies: A teenager under the age of 18 is not treated like an adult. If he is found guilty, he does not receive a lifelong punishment like an adult, but a youth prison, often in a special youth prison. The maximum penalty for murder among young people is an unlimited prison sentence with the possibility of release after a minimum time (usually 12 years or more).
In the series, Jamie Miller is interviewed intensively by the police after his arrest.
How is it in Germany?
In Germany, 13-year-old Jamie Miller would not be punishable and could not be convicted of criminal law. The minimum age for female law is 14 years in this country (§ 19 StGB).
When a child under the age of 14 commits a serious crime, the youth welfare office intervene. The child can be instructed in a closed facility or a home. It receives intensive pedagogical and psychological care and can be removed from the family if necessary. Accommodation in adolescent psychiatry is possible if the child is classified as dangerous.