Saxony's Minister of Justice Constanze Geiert (CDU) believes that stricter juvenile criminal law is necessary in view of increasing violent crime. During a debate in the state parliament, she called for a reform. There can be no two opinions about the need to act. "The situation is serious," said the minister. There are more and more criminal biographies at a young age and cases in which youth work can no longer remedy anything.
Minister questions age limit of criminal responsibility
According to Geiert, Saxony supports a proposal from Bavaria to also hold children of criminal responsibility to account. Currently, girls and boys under the age of 14 cannot be prosecuted under criminal law. The minister also wants to tighten the criminal law for 18 to 21-year-olds, who are often still prosecuted under the milder juvenile criminal law. In future, adult criminal law is to be the rule and juvenile criminal law will only apply in a few exceptions.
