Freiburg launches House of Youth Law: Fight against juvenile crime!

Freiburg launches House of Youth Law: Fight against juvenile crime!

A groundbreaking project is underway in Freiburg: a new youth law center is intended to promote interdisciplinary exchange between the police, public prosecutor's office and youth welfare services. This cooperation was recently sealed by a contract between the Freiburg public prosecutor's office, the Freiburg police headquarters, the city of Freiburg and the district offices of Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald and Emmendingen. Again Black Forest messenger reports, this initiative is a targeted response to the challenges of juvenile crime.

The main goal of the project is to respond more quickly and accurately to crimes committed by young people through interdisciplinary collaboration under one roof. The focus is not only on legal prosecution, but also on educational aspects of juvenile criminal law. Individual reactions to crimes are largely determined by the circumstances of the crime, the perpetrator's personal situation and the social environment. This approach is intended not only to combat youth crime in the long term, but also to prevent long-term criminal careers.

Local role models and nationwide integration

Again House of Youth Law Stuttgart explains, there are already over 30 such houses nationwide. The first was launched in Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt in 1999, followed by other locations such as Pforzheim and Offenburg. This region shows that Lahr, as the tenth house of youth law, represents an additional instrument for combating youth crime, after a similar project in Offenburg has been successfully active since 2020.

In recent years, youth crime has increased in Germany, with the increase being particularly worrying among those under 14 and young people between 14 and 18 years old. The Ortenau Journal reports an 11.3% increase in violent crime in the under 14 age group and 3.8% in the 14 to 18 age group. Experts attribute these developments, among other things, to psychological stress caused by Corona measures.

The concept of the House of Youth Law

The new premises of the House of Youth Law in Freiburg are still being planned, but the concept envisages close cooperation between the various actors. These include public prosecutors, police officers and youth welfare workers who work together to offer young people who have committed criminal offenses the prospect of a life free from punishment.

Modern interrogation techniques have already been implemented in Lahr and the rooms have been designed to be child-friendly. The house is intended to provide both preventive and repressive measures, with the police responsible for preventative work and the public prosecutor's office responsible for legal action. Youth welfare services will also provide support throughout the entire criminal proceedings.

With the opening of the House of Youth Law in Freiburg, the region is taking an important step in the fight against youth crime. A holistic approach is pursued here, which relies on early identification of problematic developments and promotes professional exchange between the authorities. The search for the right locations has already begun, and there is great anticipation of successful implementation.