Charge accepted in death of 15-year-old, trial to begin next week

A man from Bremen will face trial next Monday over the violent death of a 15-year-old in the Schleswig-Holstein town of Eckernförde. The Kiel Regional Court’s criminal division has admitted the charges against the man, who was 22 at the time of the incident.

Prosecutors charged him with manslaughter and a violation of the Cannabis Act at the end of August. The court has scheduled eight hearings and expects to issue a verdict on Nov. 6, a court spokeswoman said.

The teenager died in mid-March after a dispute escalated outside a supermarket. Police said several people became involved in a violent confrontation, and witnesses later saw a car drive away. Prosecutors believe the dispute involved a cannabis transaction.

The accused surrendered two weeks after the incident, prosecutors said. Authorities had already issued an arrest warrant and unsuccessfully searched for him. It has not been confirmed whether a knife caused the teenager’s fatal injuries.