- Crime scene hospital - more crimes against nurses and doctors
In Brandenburg's hospitals, incidents of violence against nurses, doctors, and security personnel have become more frequent in recent years. The number of registered criminal offenses has increased slightly over the past years: from 262 in 2020 to 279 last year. This is according to the response from the Ministry of Social Affairs to a query by state parliamentarian Daniela Oeynhausen (AfD), based on data from the police and the German Hospital Institute.
Nationwide, there were more than 1.5 million criminal offenses in hospitals between 2020 and 2023, including over 621,000 cases against police officers and other security personnel, according to the police's crime statistics.
In the 54 hospitals in Brandenburg, the number of suspects increased by 37 to 235 during the reporting period. Most cases involved bodily harm offenses, with the number rising from 100 in 2020 to 112. There were 53 cases of threats in 2023, an increase of 6 from three years ago.
There were 66 cases of resistance and assault on law enforcement officers last year, an increase of 11 from three years ago. In cases of dangerous or severe bodily harm, the suspects were predominantly male and an average of 38 years old. Six of the total 71 suspected perpetrators in this group were foreigners.
No information on possible dark figure
The police and the ministry did not provide information on a possible dark figure for these crimes. In response to the parliamentary query, the ministry in Potsdam also referred to a flash survey by the German Hospital Institute.
According to this survey, 20% of employees reported a significant increase in physical and verbal attacks by patients, visitors, relatives, and companions over the past five years. 53% reported a moderate increase.
In 2023, 80% of victims were nurses, and 19% were doctors. About one-third of incidents occurred on a ward, and half occurred in emergency rooms or emergency outpatient clinics.
The state government emphasized that it is not acceptable for violence to be directed at those whose task it is to help others in need. It must be the task of all to prevent such situations through joint action and a culture of mutual support.
The German Hospital Institute conducted a flash survey, revealing that 20% of hospital employees experienced a significant increase in physical and verbal attacks over the past five years. The Ministry of Social Affairs in Brandenburg also cited data from the German Hospital Institute in their response to a parliamentary query about incidents of violence.
