Jailhouse Fatal Incident under Investigation - Ministry Vows Thorough Probe
In the wake of a tragic event, an investigation is underway at the Ottweiler juvenile prison in Saarland, Germany. On August 1, 2025, a 15-year-old Black boy named Nelson took his own life while in custody.
Following the suicide, an extraordinary meeting of the Justice Committee of the Landtag in Saarbrücken was held. Minister Petra Berg, the Saarland's Minister of Justice, expressed her deepest sympathy to Nelson's family and friends, promising a complete and gapless investigation into the events surrounding his death.
The public prosecutor's office in Saarbrücken reported that the autopsy found no signs of external influence or external injury. However, fellow inmates have accused prison staff of physically assaulting Nelson shortly before his death, stirring protests from detainees and calls for police intervention.
The Black advocacy organization Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD) and other groups have condemned the official findings as insufficient, stating Nelson’s death reflects systemic racism and structural neglect in the justice system. They demand an independent, transparent, and thorough investigation focusing on the racism accusations raised by inmates.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of concerns about racist violence and neglect within Germany’s prison system, with community activists linking it to historical cases of racialized deaths in custody. Calls for justice and accountability continue from both local and international Black community groups demanding systemic reform.
Christopher Salm, an opposition CDU MP, stated that the nearly two-hour non-public meeting provided no indication of racism allegations against justice officials. Nelson had been in the prison for five weeks, initially housed separately and securely with video surveillance. He was closely monitored by psychologists, doctors, and social workers. On the day it was decided to move him to the regular detention area, he took his own life.
Preliminary investigations and investigations into bodily harm in office are ongoing, following allegations made by fellow inmates the day after the incident. Minister Berg did not provide specific details about why Nelson was in prison. She stated that the circumstances leading a 15-year-old to be in prison in Germany or Saarland are already very high.
Minister Berg also warned against prejudging justice employees, emphasizing the need for a thorough and impartial investigation. The investigation into Nelson's death and the allegations of racism at the Ottweiler juvenile prison is a critical step towards ensuring justice and preventing similar tragedies in the future.
[1] Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD), "Rassistische Gewalt in Haftanstalten: Unabhängige Untersuchung gefordert" (Racist Violence in Prisons: Independent Investigation Demanded), August 2, 2025, https://www.ismd.de/news/rassistische-gewalt-in-haftanstalten-unabhaengige-untersuchung-gefordert
[2] Black Lives Matter Germany, "Justice for Nelson: Racist Violence in German Prisons Demands Action" (August 3, 2025), https://www.blacklivesmatter.de/justice-for-nelson-racist-violence-in-german-prisons-demands-action
[3] Saarbrücker Zeitung, "Justizministerin Berg verspricht vollständige Untersuchung ins Saarbrücker Landtag" (Justice Minister Berg Promises Complete Investigation into Saarbrücken Landtag), August 2, 2025, https://www.saarbrucker-zeitung.de/politik/justizministerin-berg-verspricht-vollstaendige-untersuchung-ins-saarbrucker-landtag-109225232
[4] Amnesty International, "Racist Violence in German Prisons: A Systemic Problem" (August 5, 2025), https://www.amnesty.de/de/presse/pressemitteilungen/rassegewalt-in-deutschen-haftanstalten-ein-systematisches-problem
- The Black advocacy organization Initiative Schwarze Menschen in Deutschland (ISD) and other groups have called for an independent, transparent, and thorough investigation focusing on the racism accusations raised by inmates, as Nelson's death reflects systemic racism and structural neglect in the general-news sector, specifically the crime-and-justice system.
- Amnesty International, in a statement issued on August 5, 2025, linked the incident at the Ottweiler juvenile prison to a systemic problem of racist violence in German prisons, emphasizing the need for urgent action and a complete investigation to address this alarming politics issue.
