Yesterday, Tuesday, German police said two schoolgirls confessed to stabbing a 12-year-old classmate to death in a case that rocked the country in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany.
Louise’s body was found the next day in a wooded area near her home.
“The child died as a result of multiple stab wounds that caused bleeding,” Koblenz prosecutor Mario Manfeller told a press conference, adding that “there is no indication that she was subjected to any sexual abuse.”
Florian Looker, head of the Koblenz police homicide unit, said two girls, aged 12 and 13, confessed to the murder.
Locker said the girls “made statements about it and eventually confessed to the crime”.
Manfeller added that the two girls knew the victim, Louise, but declined to provide more details due to the age of the defendants, as two of the girls are under 14, which is the minimum age the law in the country allows their owners to be prosecuted.
He explained that investigators had not yet found the knife or knives used in the attack.
“Of course, this is an unusual and very shocking act even for us,” he continued.
Louise was due to return home after visiting a friend, but her parents reported on Saturday that she had lost sight of her.
Her disappearance sparked a massive search operation involving dozens of police officers using rafts, marches and police dogs.
Hendrik West, regional commander for North Rhine-Westphalia, said he was “shocked” and added: “It is unthinkable or unacceptable for children to commit such acts.”
Locals laid flowers and candles near the forest where Louise’s body was found. Police continue to search the crime scene for clues.
