07 April 2023 , 16:20
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A boy aged 11 is suspected of being involved in the death of a 10-year-old girl at a children's home in Germany.
The girl was found dead in her home at a child and youth welfare facility in Wunsiedel in northeast Bavaria.
Local police and prosecutors said evidence collected at the crime scene "indicates the involvement of an 11-year-old boy" who is staying at the same care home.
The child died violently, according to the prosecutor's office.
Officials said in a statement: "Since the 11-year-old boy is below the age of criminal responsibility, he has been placed in a secure facility as a preventive measure."
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Police forces walk towards the children's centre (Daniel Vogl/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Authorities have not given further details on the case, but it emerged that the boy has not been questioned yet.
Joachim Herrmann, Bavaria's regional interior minister, praised the investigators for identifying a suspect "in a relatively short amount of time".
He added: "What's important now is to clarify the exact circumstances of this tragedy."
After the girl's death, the Public Prosecutor's Office in the town of Hof said in a statement: "An alarmed emergency medical team could only determine the death of the 10-year-old.
"After the first measures taken by the forces of the Wunsiedel Police Inspectorate with the support of the surrounding departments, the criminal police from Hof took over the further investigations.
"Specialists carried out extensive forensic measures in the facility."
Ulrike Scharf, Germany's Minister of State for Family , Labor and Social Affairs, speaking out after the girl's death (Daniel Vogl/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)The child and youth welfare centre said it was "deeply shocked" by the girl's death, and added in a statement: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the parents, the family, our children and our colleagues."
An employee from the facility told German media: "We are all totally shocked and still can't understand it."
The number of children housed at the facility was not disclosed by German media.
The current incident occurred three weeks after schoolgirl Luise Frisch, aged 12, from the town of Freudenberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia State, was killed by her "best friends" Luisa Halberstadt, 13, and Anna-Marie Hoffman, 12, on March 10.
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Flowers left in tribute to the 10-year-old girl (Daniel Vogl/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)Her body was found after it was thrown down a slope from a bike path with more than 30 stab wounds.
It was found the next day near a disused train station in Wildenburg, some two kilometres (1.2 miles) from her home.
Investigators believe hurt feelings were likely the motive for the crime, after Luise apparently poked fun at the physique of one of the girls.
Luise's killers, who are under the age of criminal responsibility, were removed from their families and school and placed in a psychiatric institution, as authorities consider their options.
They reportedly confessed to having researched criminal liability on the internet before committing the harrowing crime.