- Decrease in instances of familial wrongdoing within Lower Saxony's community.
In Lower Saxony, there's seen a slight rise in incidents categorized as "clan-related crime." Last year, these incidents amounted to 3,610, but in 2022, the figure jumped to 3,986, as per the Ministry of Interior and Justice's report on clan crime. Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) lauded the close cooperation between law enforcement and the judiciary, declaring they're on the right track.
Despite accounting for less than 1% of the total crimes reported, clan-related crime poses difficult challenges to law enforcement agencies. The report reveals that offenses against physical integrity and personal freedom made up nearly a third of all cases, with 1,110 instances. Majority of these offenses, 631, were instances of bodily harm.
What are clan structures involved in criminal activities?
According to the report, a clan refers to a group of people linked by a common ethnic origin and mostly tied by family relations. Criminal clan structures engage in committing any type and severity of criminal and administrative offenses.
Many of the suspects identified are Germans
These crimes have led to public worry, stated Behrens. The high violence among the perpetrators, who don't shy away from using weapons in addition to physical violence, significantly contributes to this concern. "We will never tolerate this in Lower Saxony."
Last year, 3,048 suspects were recorded, but this number rose to 3,323 in 2022. 82% of them were male, and 56% were under 30. More than half had German citizenship.
No concentration spots
The offenses were spread across the entire state, both in urban and rural areas. No permanent concentration at specific locations has been identified yet. The report shows varying frequencies in different regions. In areas like Heidekreis and Gifhorn, between 1 to 20 of these offenses were reported last year; in Göttingen, Diepholz, Osnabrück, or Cuxhaven, more than 100 cases were reported.
While the number of police investigations decreased, the number of court proceedings significantly increased in the four focus public prosecutor's offices. Last year, 1,404 new proceedings against named suspects were initiated in Braunschweig, Hildesheim, Osnabrück, and Stade, a rise of almost 29% compared to 2022. In 27% of the proceedings, an indictment was filed or a penalty order was requested, as per the Ministry of Justice.
"The Rolex or the fancy car is a thing of the past"
"The significant increase in public prosecutor proceedings clearly indicates that Lower Saxony's zero-tolerance strategy is working," said Justice Minister Kathrin Wahlmann (SPD). And the saying that crime should not pay is no empty phrase in Lower Saxony. In many cases, assets like funds, cars, and real estate have been seized. "And it's almost as bad as a prison sentence when the Rolex or the fancy car is no more."
The Police Union (GdP) demanded personnel and financial support for future work, considering the significant effort behind the decrease in crimes. "The necessary resources should also be provided by utilizing seized assets," the union stated.
The term "clan crime" is controversial, as critics argue it stigmatizes and discriminates against people with migration backgrounds based on their family ties and origin. Behrens denies this accusation, stating "Crime can only be fought by recognizing, naming it, and then developing concepts against it."
Criticism and Demands
The Greens questioned whether the low number of cases justifies a separate situation report. "Furthermore, the concept of 'clan crime' is based on questionable assumptions and terms, and it's highly controversial even in academia," criticized the Green party's legal affairs spokesperson in the state parliament, Evrim Camuz.
Lower Saxony is a hotspot for clan crime, said the CDU parliamentary group chairman, Sebastian Lechner, adding, "Like in North Rhine-Westphalia, we need the politics of small pinpricks in Lower Saxony too."
Lower Saxony is not adequately equipped to handle this issue in practice, criticized the interior policy spokesman of the AfD parliamentary group, Stephan Bothe. "The police must finally be given the personnel and material resources to effectively combat clan criminals." For this, a central combat unit would be necessary.
The rise in clan-related crime has led to concerns about the use of weapons and physical violence, with many suspects being identified as Germans driving cars.
Despite the controversy surrounding the term, the seizing of assets like cars and real estate has become as damaging as a prison sentence for those engaged in clan crimes.
