Two Irish teens have been found guilty of the murder of 14-year-old Ana Kriégel in May 2018.
Two fourteen-year-old boys, known throughout the trial as Boy A and Boy B, have been found guilty of the murder of fellow teen Ana Kriégel, becoming the youngest people in the history of the Irish state to be convicted of murder.
Kriégel was last seen in her home in Lucan early in the evening of May 14, 2018. She was soon reported missing by her mother and her body was found in an abandoned farmhouse three days later on May 17.
Boy A was found guilty of her murder and of violently sexually assaulting the teenager before her death while Boy B was found guilty of her murder. Both boys, who were 13 years old at the time of the crime, pleaded non-guilty.
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Two 14-year-old boys have been found guilty of the murder of Ana Kriégel in Lucan just over a year ago. Anastasia Kriegel whose body was found outside a deserted building in Lucan. Photo: RIP
It is alleged that Boy B lured Kriégel from her home on the evening of May 14 who thought she was meeting with Boy A, a boy she liked. Boy B claimed he had no idea what Boy A was going to do but the jury found that he brought Kriégel to the house and provided the tape found around her neck, as well as participating in the cover-up of their crime.
Throughout eight interviews lasting almost 17 hours in total, Boy B's story changed as he was challenged with evidence produced by Gardaí (Irish police). His initial statements claimed that he had brought Kriégel to neet Boy A in the park and walked with them shortly before leaving again. By the end of his interviews, Boy B admitted to having brought Kriégel to the farmhouse but claimed to have left once he saw Boy A choking and stripping the young girl.
Gardaí believe this final story was still short of the truth and it is reported that he gave different versions of the story to a friend and to a psychologist.
The prosecution claimed that Boy A was lying in wait for the schoolgirl as his friend brought her to the farmhouse. Her naked body was found there three days later, having been hit several times with a weapon and suffering severe damage to her head and neck. The tape had also been looped around her neck. The former State pathologist, Professor Marie Cassidy, told the court during the seven-week trial that there were around 60 areas of injury to the 14-year-old's body.
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Pictured Anastasia Kriegel parents Geraldine and Patrick Kriegel leaving the Criminal Courts of Justice Dublin after the Ana Kriegel Trial finished. The two boys A and B were found guilty of Ana's murder. Photo: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie.
Evidence presented to the jury showed Kriégel's’s blood was found on Boy A's boots, and his semen was found on her top. A boot print similar to the boots worn by him was also found on her top.
The schoolgirl's blood was found on a home-made “zombie” mask, gloves and knee pads found in a backpack in Boy A’s room, a pack which Gardaí have described as his murder kit.
He had been spotted on CCTV footage walking alone toward the farmhouse shortly before the young girl was murdered. A witness later saw him returning with blood on his top and when he arrived home, he told his father he had been beaten up by two men. Gardaí were unable to find a witness to confirm this attack or the presence of two men in the park. No evidence was found on surrounding CCTV footage.
Both boys have been remanded in custody in Oberstown children’s detention center until July 15 – the date of the sentencing hearing.
H/T: Irish Independent
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