The teenage victim was found late on Friday in the western city of Mülheim

Three of the suspects are 14 and two are 12 — lower than age of criminality

All five suspects were suspended from school and one appeared before judge

An 18-year-old woman was found in bushes after she was allegedly gang raped by five boys as young as 12 - prompting debate over whether Germany's age of criminality should be lowered.

The teenage victim was found late on Friday in the western city of Mülheim after a sustained attack of 'considerable violence'. Three of the suspects are 14 and two are just 12.

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But the age offenders can be prosecuted in Germany is 14, meaning two of the suspects' behavioural issues will be addressed by the Youth Welfare Office but they will not be arrested or charged through the justice system.

After a night in jail the underage suspects were handed over to their families in front of the police station. Five youths as young as 12 have been detained for allegedly raping an 18-year-old mentally-disabled woman in a playground

The victim was taken to a hospital in the industrial Ruhr region.

Rainer Wendt, the head of the police force union, said 'for years we've been demanding that the age of criminal responsibility be lowered in Germany'.

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But the head of the German Association of judges, Jens Gnisa, said: 'The equation "more punishment less criminality" does not work with youths'. The educational rules established in German law are enough to tackle juvenile crime, he claims.

All five suspects have now been suspended from school and one 14-year-old has appeared before an investigating judge.

The victim was taken to a hospital in the industrial Ruhr region. Pictured, the bushes in the playground where the woman was allegedly dragged and raped

Pictured, the suspects after they were released from custody. One 14-year-old has appeared before an investigating judge

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the minimum age before a child can be prosecuted is ten. It is thought that before this age a child is not responsible for their own actions if they break the law.

The case of two-year-old James Bulger, who was murdered by two ten-year-old boys in 1993, is the argument cited for keeping the age at ten.

But the age of criminal responsibility varies across Europe. In May, Scotland raised the age from eight to 12 years old, in Scandinavian countries it's 15 and in France it is 13.

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But in 2007 the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child said a minimum of less than 12 years was not 'internationally acceptable'.