Escalation in Frankfurt: 15-year-old brain dead after a fight at a football tournament

Status: 05/31/2023 11:13 am

After a fight at a football tournament in Frankfurt, the injured 15-year-old was declared brain dead. A 16-year-old is said to have hit him first in the stomach and then on the head from behind.

A 15-year-old player suffered life-threatening injuries during a brawl during a football tournament in Frankfurt on Sunday. As the police announced on Tuesday evening, the victim from Berlin was declared brain dead.

A 16-year-old tournament participant from France is therefore considered to be an urgent suspect. He is in custody. First had the Frankfurter Rundschau reported about it.

“Firm Blow to the Head”

The arrest warrant for the suspect from which the FAZ first quoted on Wednesday, now gives more details about the possible course of events. As the public prosecutor confirmed to the hr, the accused is said to have “hit in the face with both fists” another opponent. He then put the 15-year-old in a headlock and hit his stomach, but he was able to free himself and walk away.

The alleged perpetrator then ran after him and gave him a hard hit on the head from behind. The boy collapsed – the attacker left him and walked away.

FC Metz: Player denies intentional injury

The French club FC Metz announced on Tuesday that they had learned “with disbelief” about the “drama” that had happened in Frankfurt. “A young player from the FC Metz performance program is currently being interrogated by the German authorities and denies intentionally causing physical harm to the young injured player,” it said in French on the club’s website.

The club, players and parents are available to the German authorities for further investigations. The club had also expressed its condolences to the critically injured player and his family.

rbb24 quotes Bernd Schultz, President of the Berlin Football Association: “Our thoughts and sympathy go out to all the relatives and team members of the player affected at this difficult time.” One has been in close contact with the Berlin association since Sunday in order to support it and its members wherever possible.

Association “stunned” and “shocked”

The Hessian Football Association was also “stunned” and “shocked that a young person was fighting for his life through violence on a Hessian football pitch”.

“Our thoughts are with the boy’s family,” said Vice President Silke Sinning. The association condemns any form of violence and is working together with the Fair Play Hessen platform to curb violent incidents at football games, the statement said.

on-field revival

The tournament took place on the sports field of the Viktoria Prussia club in the district of Eckenheim. According to the police, after the final whistle of a game, players from a Berlin and a French youth team clashed. The suspect hit the 15-year-old on the head and neck.

The boy had to be revived after the attack. He was then taken to a hospital, where the brain injuries and finally brain death were determined.

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