Death of an eleven-year-old on a school trip: investigations against two teachers

After the death of an eleven-year-old student during a school trip in Lower Saxony, the Hanover public prosecutor's office is investigating two teachers. A spokeswoman for the prosecution said the investigation was being carried out on suspicion of negligent homicide by omission.

She did not provide any further details about the allegations; the suspects are presumed innocent. The “Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung” had previously reported.

The boy complained of shortness of breath and lost consciousness in a school camp in Aerzen in the Hameln-Pyrmont district on June 18th. He had to be resuscitated. The teachers initiated rescue measures and were instructed by the rescue control center by telephone. A helicopter was alerted. However, all rescue attempts were unsuccessful. After the incident, police said there was no evidence of foul play.

According to the preliminary autopsy results, there are indications of anaphylactic shock as the cause of death - i.e. a life-threatening allergic reaction, said the spokeswoman.

The eleven-year-old had an allergic reaction to cow's milk - whether this was related to his death is being determined, as is the trigger for the possible anaphylactic shock. She said the public prosecutor's office had commissioned an allergological report. This is not yet available. There are no indications of other possible causes of death.

The spokeswoman for the public prosecutor's office said that there was supposed to have been a lunch together about 20 minutes before the boy collapsed. What happened in those 20 minutes should also be clarified. According to the information, the eleven-year-old had an emergency pen with adrenaline with him for the school trip - but this was not used.

During the operation in June, around 50 school children from fourth grades at a primary school in the Hanover region were looked after by teachers and kept away from the rescue efforts. Emergency pastors looked after the children and teachers.