Germany: 11-year-old suspected of killing girl in Bavaria

An 11-year-old boy is suspected of involvement in the death of a 10-year-old girl at a children's care home in Germany, police said on Friday.

The girl was found dead in her room at a child and youth welfare facility in Wunsiedel, Bavaria, on Tuesday.

Evidence collected at the crime scene "indicates the involvement of an 11-year-old boy" staying at the same facility, local police and prosecutors said in a joint statement.

"Since the 11-year-old boy is below the age of criminal responsibility, he has been placed in a secure facility as a preventive measure," the statement said.

No details on girl's death

Police and prosecutors declined to give further details on the Wunsiedel case but said the boy had not yet been questioned. It is unclear how the girl died and what evidence was found.     

Bavaria's regional interior minister, Joachim Herrmann, praised the investigators for identifying a suspect "in a relatively short amount of time."

"What's important now is to clarify the exact circumstances of this tragedy," he said.

Shock in Wunsiedel

The child and youth welfare center in Wunsiedel, home to around 90 children and teenagers, said it was "deeply shocked" by the girl's death.     

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the parents, the family, our children and our colleagues," it said in a statement.

On its website, the institute describes itself as supporting "young people and their families who need help with their upbringing". The staff of the facility consists of about 90 employees.      

Second case this year

The case comes with Germany still reeling from the killing of 12-year-old Luise, who was found dead in the western town of Freudenberg last month after suffering multiple stab wounds.

Two schoolgirls, aged 12 and 13, have confessed to the killing.     

The suspects and the victim had known each other, the police and the public prosecutor's office said. They did not give any information about the motive because the children are under the age of criminal responsibility.

dh/jcg (AFP, dpa)