Children are responsible for their actions according to their age and their development. Here is an overview of the different legally relevant age groups:
- Infants aged 0 - 6 years are neither civil nor criminally responsible.
- Children between the ages of 7 and 13 are legally limited responsible under civil law (§ 106 BGB), have limited civil liability (§ 828 II BGB) and have no criminal liability, § 19 StGB (Criminal Code)
- Young people between the ages of 13 and 17 years are legally limited responsible under civil law (§ 106 BGB), have limited civil liability (§ 828 II BGB) and limited punishable by criminal law, § 19 StGB, § 1 II JGG
- Adolescents between the ages of 18 and 20 are fully legally competent and able to bargain under civil law; Special provisions apply under criminal law, §§ 1 II, 105 JGG.
- Adults from the age of 21 are fully legally competent under civil law and capable of tortious and full criminal liability, unless §§ 20, 21 StGB intervenes.
More details:
https://www.jura.uni-tuebingen.de/professoren_und_dozenten/heinrich/materialien/materialien-zur-vorlesung-jugendstrafrecht-pdf-dateien/verantwortlichkeit-jugendlicher