#263In Deutschland sind Jugendliche ab 14 Jahren strafmündig. Das bedeutet: Jugendliche, die 14 Jahre und älter sind und gegen Strafgesetze verstoßen...
In Germany, young people are criminally responsible from the age of 14. This means: young people who are 14 years and older and violate criminal laws...
Quick Controls
The correct answer is:
will be punished.
werden bestraft.
Independent study resource, not a BAMF website. Translations are study aids; the exam is in German.
Quick explanation
Being criminally responsible from 14 means: young people aged 14 and over who break criminal laws are punished.
Why is this correct?
Juvenile criminal law applies to them, which focuses mainly on education rather than punishment.
Background
Children under 14 are not criminally responsible in Germany and cannot be punished (Section 19 of the Criminal Code). From 14, the Youth Courts Act applies to young people. A youth court can order, for example, community service, a social training course, victim–offender mediation, youth detention or, in serious cases, youth imprisonment. The aim is for young people to learn from their mistakes and not commit further crimes. Juvenile criminal law can also still be applied to 18- to 20-year-olds.
Why are the other answers wrong?
Young people are not treated like adults but under special juvenile criminal law. Parents do not share the punishment with their children – punishment is always personal. And “are not punished” only applies to children under 14.
Memory tip
Under 14: no punishment. From 14: juvenile criminal law.
Legal basis: Sec. 19 Criminal Code (StGB) ↗
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