- 5200 children identified as suspects in criminal cases
The number of children who have come to the attention of authorities for criminal offenses has continued to rise in Berlin. Last year, the police recorded 5200 boys and girls as suspected perpetrators. This is according to a response from the Senate to an AfD inquiry. Specifically, there were 3550 boys and 1650 girls under the age of 14. In recent years, the numbers have been lower, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the year before the pandemic, there were around 4550 suspects under the age of 18.
The highest numbers were among 12- and 13-year-olds. However, around 750 suspected offenders were also registered among 11-year-olds, and there were just under 500 among 10-year-olds. There were 121 suspects among 7-year-olds, 60 among 6-year-olds, and 50 among even younger children.
The offenses were not fully detailed in the general figures, but they were for violent crime. Here, there was a higher increase, from 697 suspected children in 2019 to 992 last year. Around 60% had German citizenship, and the rest had foreign citizenship. Most cases involved bodily harm, but there were also incidents of robbery, knife attacks, and sexual harassment. However, legally, these acts have no consequences: in Germany, juveniles are only criminally responsible from the age of 14.
The ongoing rise in criminal offenses in Berlin has been somewhat mitigated by the Coronavirus pandemic, leading to a decrease in suspects under the age of 18 in recent years. Despite this, there were still instances of suspected Coronavirus carriers engaging in criminal activities, particularly among the younger age group.
