German MP Silke Launert Calls for End of Youth Criminal Law for Adults

Bundestag member Dr. Silke Launert (CDU) from Bayreuth is urging the repeal of § 105 Abs. 1 of the Youth Court Act (JGG), which currently permits applying juvenile criminal law to persons aged 18 to 21 under certain conditions. She argues that once a person turns 18 they acquire full civil rights – voting, contract‑making and full legal responsibility – and therefore should be subject to adult criminal law for serious offences.

Launert points to the CDU/CSU 2025 election programme that stresses “equal rights, equal responsibility” and says the original legislative intent was for adult law to apply by default, with juvenile law only as an exception. She notes that in practice juvenile law is now applied far more often, especially in severe cases, which she views as contrary to both the lawmaker’s intent and public sense of justice. While supporting the abolition of the provision, she acknowledges that significant developmental delays or youth‑typical offences could still be considered through other sentencing mechanisms.