Germany/ Number of criminal offenses highest since 2016

2024-04-10 09:57:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

In Germany last year there was an increase in violent crime, which includes various criminal acts of sexuality, bodily injury and theft. The number of cases (about 214,000) has increased according to statistics by 8.6 percent compared to 2022. This is the highest level since 2007.

Thefts have also increased. In the category of petty theft, about 1.97 million cases were registered, 10.7 percent more than in the previous year in 2022. The number of home burglaries also increased by about 18 percent.

The authorities have registered a total of 5,941 million cases of criminality throughout the federation. This means an increase of 5.5 percent compared to 2022 and 9.3 percent compared to 2019 before the coronavirus pandemic. In total, more crimes have been registered in Germany than ever before since 2016.

The Social Democrat Interior Minister, Nancy Faeser, during the presentation of the statistics in Berlin, said that this development requires "the necessary and, in my opinion, harsh intervention of the rule of law" as well as the strengthening of preventive measures. But despite the increase in the number of criminal offences, Germany "continues to be one of the safest countries in the world".

The number of foreign defendants on the rise

Last year, the criminality of foreigners increased significantly. The number of non-German defendants increased by 17.8 percent to about 923,000. Deducting from this quota, misdemeanors such as violations of the law on the right of residence, which only concerns foreigners, - the increase is 13.5 percent.

Minister Faeser called for the increase in the number of foreign defendants to be "discussed without shame and reminiscence". In addition to the direct criminal consequences, this development also means that those who commit criminal offenses without having a German passport "must leave Germany much faster without hesitation like until now", she said. "Anyone who doesn't respect the rules must leave."

At the same time, she drew attention to the reminiscences against foreigners and asked for more integrum measures. The president of the Criminal Investigation Agency (BKA), Holger Münch, expressed the same.

The chairman of the Conference of Ministers of the Interior, the Minister of the Interior of Brandenburg, the Christian Democrat Michael Stübgen emphasized that the disproportionate quota of foreign defendants should not lead to collective suspicion. "Millions of foreigners live here and do not commit crimes." Those who commit criminal offenses and must leave Germany must be deported as a result. Integration is the best tool against migrant criminality.

More and more minors commit criminal offences

The statistics also show that the number of people who commit criminal offenses is increasing. If in 2022 throughout the federation 13.4 percent of all defendants were part of the group of children, this quota has increased to 13.8 percent in 2023.

Pandemic, long-term consequences, inflation and migration

In general, the year 2023 has been the first year with a normal public life after the pandemic, it is emphasized, referring to the increase in criminal offenses. "As a result, more cases and triggers for criminal offenses are created."

Even relatively high inflation and its social and economic consequences may have played a role in the increase in criminal offenses during 2023, according to crime researchers. "In economically weak regions, the number of criminal cases and defendants is higher."

Criminalistics experts also see a reason for the significantly increased number of criminal offenses in the increase in migration within a short period of time, which for certain people can create worse living conditions and integration. As risk factors for those seeking asylum, according to the report, past experiences with violence in wars, terrorism, trauma and difficult psychological situations affect living conditions in temporary asylum shelters.

Police crime statistics are published annually on the basis of data recorded in the 16 states of the federation. This statistic reflects the number of registered criminal offenses./ DW