When the police call to inform you that your child is under investigation, it is a shock for any parent. Concerns about school, apprenticeships, or university studies arise immediately.
In juvenile criminal law, the focus is not on punishment, but on the educational principle. In Mannheim, such cases are often handled centrally at the "Haus des Jugendrechts". As a youth criminal defense lawyer, I ensure that a youthful indiscretion does not block their future.
Adolescents (14 to 17) & Young Adults (18 to 20)
Age is a decisive factor:
- 14 to 17 years: Juvenile criminal law is mandatory.
- 18 to 20 years: Here, the court decides whether "developmental delays" exist or if adult criminal law applies. We argue specifically for the milder juvenile law to avoid harsh criminal records.
Community Service Instead of Prison
Juvenile criminal law does not resort to imprisonment as quickly as adult criminal law and includes many low-threshold measures.
- Discontinuation of proceedings: In exchange for a reprimand or conditions.
- Educational measures: Instructions, community service hours, or victim-offender mediation.
- Disciplinary measures: Warning or short-term youth detention ("Warnschussarrest"), without imposing a permanent prison sentence.
Why Teens Need a Specialist in Youth Criminal Law
Juvenile criminal law — Jugendstrafrecht — is a fundamentally different legal field from adult criminal law, and Teens who come into conflict with the law need a lawyer who understands its special rules. The youth court judge has broad discretion to impose community service, probation, social training courses, or — in more serious cases — a suspended youth sentence. Getting it right the first time is essential: an entry in the Central Register of Convictions can affect future employment, apprenticeships, and visa applications for years. The earlier a specialist is involved, the greater the chances of securing an outcome that does not follow your child for the rest of their life.
What Happens Before and During the Hearing
In youth criminal proceedings, the youth welfare office prepares a personal circumstances report that the judge reads before the hearing. Defense counsel should accompany the accused to the first police interview — or, better still, advise them to remain silent until the file has been reviewed. We attend every hearing, work constructively with the youth welfare office, and present the court with a realistic and sympathetic picture of your child's situation. Our goal in every case is to keep the consequences as limited and as short-lived as possible, and to close this chapter quickly so that normal life can resume.
Parents often ask whether they should accompany their child to the first police interview. Our advice is always the same: do not attend the interview without first consulting a specialist lawyer, and instruct your child to exercise their right to silence until we have reviewed the case file together. This one step can prevent irreversible mistakes.
Information current as of: February 2026
Investigation against your child?
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