Court case involving serious burglaries: perpetrators confess to 22 crimes!

Court case involving serious burglaries: perpetrators confess to 22 crimes!

In the current trial about serious residential burglaries in Stüde and Meinersen, the focus is on two defendants: a 32-year-old, who is considered the main perpetrator, and his 36-year-old accomplice, who primarily acted as the driver. Both men are accused of committing 22 burglaries between November 21st and 26th last year, including 16 cases of aggravated residential burglary and 6 attempted burglaries. The duo apparently worked systematically and purposefully in carrying out these acts.

The break-ins were concentrated in Stüde, where five incidents were recorded between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. on November 26th, and in Meinersen, with a total of 8 crimes. Unterlüß, Bad Bevensen and Melbeck were also affected. The loot amounts to around 50,000 euros, including jewelry, cash, gold coins and old cell phones. Part of the loot was recovered during a check on Federal Highway 39, which provided the investigators with valuable information.

Confessions and investigations

Both men spoke out during the trial. In particular, the 32-year-old confessed to all the burglaries, while the 36-year-old confessed to helping drive. A total of 15 victims and police officers were questioned as witnesses on the first two days of the trial. On the third day, another 6 witnesses will be interviewed in order to get a comprehensive picture of the crimes.

The legal consequences could be drastic. If the duo are convicted, they could face a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Since both defendants are currently in custody, the plea could take place on July 10th, followed by a possible verdict - alternatively, this could also take place on July 17th.

Crime in context

Burglary of a home is a particularly serious crime that is strictly punished by the law in accordance with Section 244 of the Criminal Code. There has been a strong focus on this type of crime in Germany in recent years, especially after a surge in cases following the coronavirus pandemic. In 2023, around 119,000 thefts in or from apartments were recorded, of which around 77,800 were classified as residential burglaries. Despite an increase in these incidents, the rate is still over 50% lower than in 2015.

The clearance rate for residential burglaries is currently 14.9%, which takes into account the seriousness of the crime and the often difficult investigation situation. Interestingly, it was noticed that foreign suspects made up a significant proportion of the investigations at 42.9%, which is even higher in some urban areas, especially in Hamburg. The question arises here: What are the reasons behind this development and how can society take effective action against this type of crime?

The public is following the process with great interest and is looking forward to the upcoming negotiations, which are scheduled for July 10th or 17th. Many are hoping for a clear signal against increasing crime within their own four walls. Because citizens’ sense of security is at stake. But the legal framework, as described in [juracademy.de](https://www.juracademy.de/strafrecht-bt2/diebstahl- Waffen-bandendiebstahl-wohnungseinbruchsdiebstahl.html), also shows that it is necessary both to consistently prosecute criminals and to act preventively in order to reduce the risk of a break-in and avoid damage.

Overall, it remains to be seen how the process will develop. But one thing is certain: the case is a striking example of the challenges that society faces in combating residential burglaries, and this against the background of current statistics as documented on Statista.