A 12-YEAR-OLD girl who stabbed a teenage boy at her high school in Madrid has been suspended, but her age means she cannot face any form of trial or legal redress.
The youngster, who will be 13 later this month, is said to have been going out with her 14-year-old victim – identified as Markus – and they both belonged to an urban gang known as 'Emo'.
The accused, a pupil at the Valdebernardo high school in Madrid's Vicálvaro neighbourhood, goes by the nickname of 'Tóxica'.
She stabbed Markus five times with a 'sharp object', which has not been defined, leaving him in a serious condition and having to be rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
He has since been discharged and his life is not in danger.
Markus was helped by staff who witnessed the attack and called an ambulance.
It is believed the assault was due to jealousy or a similar relationship conflict between the teen lovers.
As the girl is only 12, she is considered legally immune and the youth prosecution has closed its file on her case, since authorities cannot take any action.
In Spain, minors – aged under 18 – are not considered criminally liable, but can still be sentenced to a limited period, of up to two years, in a youth detention centre where they are given hands-on psychiatric assistance and 're-educating'.
Children under 14 are not considered responsible for their own actions and, if they are caught committing a crime, all the police can do is call their parents to collect them.
In these cases, social services and youth protection authorities will review the child's family situation to determine whether it is dysfunctional and the youngster should be taken into care.
If this is not the case, the child will normally attend a series of sessions at a day centre with one-to-one specialist education and mental health assistance.
The case of the 12-year-old stabbing her boyfriend is similar to that of the pupil aged 13 who, two years ago, murdered a supply teacher at his school with a crossbow.
He is thought to have been under a psychiatrist already and prescribed anti-psychotics, which he had not taken for the few days leading up to his reign of terror in the classroom.
