Timiș Tribunal sentences teen to 15 years in Cenei murder case

The Timiș Tribunal has issued the first sentence in the Cenei murder case involving the death of 15-year-old Mario Berinde. One 15-year-old defendant was sentenced to 15 years in a detention center for qualified murder and corpse desecration.

In addition to the detention, the court ordered the defendant and his parents to pay over 1 million euros in moral damages to the victim's family. The compensation is structured to provide 300,000 euros to each parent, 200,000 euros to the sister, 150,000 euros to each grandparent, and smaller amounts to other relatives.

A second 15-year-old, accused of desecrating the corpse and aiding the perpetrators, received an educational measure consisting of daily assistance for six months, including psychological counseling and vocational training. A third minor, aged 13, was not held criminally liable due to his age, and the case against him was dismissed.

Investigators determined that the crime was planned approximately one month in advance. The victim was attacked with a small axe and a knife in a building in Cenei. Following the murder, the perpetrators set the body on fire and buried it in a garden. The sentence is not final and can be appealed.