Feb 6, 2026, 10:47Feb 6, 2026, 3:43 p.m
The killing of 14-year-old Yosef in the German city of Dormagen is said not to have been emotional, but rather an act planned by another child. The German Press Agency (dpa) learned this from security circles. A twelve-year-old is suspected.
According to the information, there are said to have been arguments between the children. The twelve-year-old is said to have felt bullied. There was no evidence that the act was racially motivated, it said. The 14-year-old who was killed came from Eritrea.
The suspected boy is in the care of the youth welfare office, said a police spokeswoman. Further measures were taken there. She initially did not provide any further information.
Dormagen’s mayor Erik Lierenfeld said that the suspect had apparently not previously come to the attention of the police. According to his own words, the social democratic politician assumes that the violent death of the young person will continue to concern the city for a long time. “We have to assume that our city will be permanently traumatized by this event, by this terrible death of Yosef,” he said at a press conference at a sports field in the city, which lies between Cologne and Düsseldorf.
“The fact that a minor allegedly committed this act is something that makes us all the more affected and also makes our blood run cold in our veins.” The investigators only announced in the morning that a child was a suspect. According to dpa information, it is a 12-year-old boy of German nationality.
Homicide squad investigates
On Friday afternoon there was a funeral service for the boy in the city in the Rhineland. The subsequent funeral took place behind closed doors.
The 14-year-old’s body was found by a walker at a lake in Dormagen at the end of January. According to the authorities, the autopsy showed that the boy died of stab and cut injuries. The “Waldsee” murder squad has been investigating for several days.
The city in the Rhineland has invited people to a public memorial service in the afternoon. The subsequent funeral will take place behind closed doors. According to police, around 2,000 people took part in a funeral procession for the killed teenager at the weekend.
City in mourning
The city of Dormagen was deeply dismayed. The 14-year-old had been living in municipal accommodation in Dormagen since 2018. He attended a city school and was fully integrated into city society.
In collaboration with schools and clubs, the city has set up an aid account to provide financial support to the victim’s family. Two books of condolence for citizens were laid out.
The youth’s football club had also expressed its sadness: “Yosef was an extremely popular boy who was highly valued not only in the club, but also in the entire village community. His bright smile and his exceptional team spirit have made him a valuable member of our club,” it said on the FC Delhoven homepage.
A walker discovered a body
The 14-year-old was last seen alive at midday on January 28th. A walker discovered his body around 5 p.m. According to consistent media reports from reporters who spoke to the boy’s mother, Yosef is said to have told the mother that he just wanted to go to his shooting club for a short time. (dab/sda/dpa)