It got into front-page news here in Germany today, and likely will be discussed for weeks. It's a story that concerns Wuppertal (a town in north Germany...half-a-hour's drive east of Dusseldorf). 350,000 residents in the town, and this entire NW area of Germany is often discussed with youth crime, gang and clan activity.
What the cops say.....two young gentlemen (referred to as the 'heads' of their gang), came upon a local retired guy and his wife as they were entering their apartment complex. The seventy-year old German guy haad made efforts recently to keep them (their gang) out of the building because they were there to urinate (pee) and dump their trash. Words were spoken by the older guy to the 'punks'.
Well....a couple of months ago, the cops removed the 'punks' and sent them off to a detention center. That didn't last long. And so the two had returned.
Basically, it doesn't matter which news group you got the story from....the story comes out the same way. The 'punks' laid an ambush on the guy and his wife.....got him on the ground and began to pummel him....kick him....etc. As the old guy fell....he hit his head on the wall. A concussion started up. He went into a coma. Then he died.
One of the 'punks' is noted as fourteen years old....the other is suggested to be fifteen years old.
Charges now? Serious bodily harm, but both are under 21 years old, and it's doubtful that they will stay in some juvenile holding system more than six years.
But that doesn't really end the story. Two folks came upon the fight and tried to hold down one of the 'punks' who punched on the rescue 'team'.....they responded and put a bit of 'pain' on the youth before the cops got there.
Other 'punks' involved? Some of them are identified as 13 years old and there is some investigation going on with their part to the attack.
What the journalists are suggesting is a youth gang that preyed upon kids.....adults, and senior citizens. Cops, prosecutors and judges? There's a strong perception given by locals when they are asked about this for the news cameras.....that the cops did what they could, but youth welfare folks failed, and prosecutors were handicapped on how they could handle violent young men. The German laws just aren't developed enough to handle this type of thug behavior. Their take is for 18 months, this type of behavior was allowed to continue, and the authorities (no one that you can finger or blame) just sat there.
Now? Cops might find enough to dump theft, burglary, drugs, and assault off on these underage hoodlums, and the bulk of the gang might do six months in some juvenile detention deal. These two with the dangerous bodily assault? Maybe five to six years before they are released at 21 years old. If some judge steps in and says their attitude and behavior are permanently dangerous.....he can detain them for the remainder of their lives. It's hard to suggest that will come out of this.
But all of this leads onto.....a vast amount of urbanized bad behavior by kids who are already by age twelve....a 'lost case' and failures in life. They aren't able to see any future, so this bad behavior situation is acceptable. The sad thing for this old guy is that he had to play a part in this story. For the rest who live in this building? Well.....one day, all of these hoodlums might get out and return.
This is one of those public and metropolitan problems facing Germany today. The laws aren't working, and no one is prepared to admit in public.....young thugs roam the streets nightly.
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