Hate in the Net - Elves have taken action against hate criminality at Meldeportal
At the new online reporting portal against hate crimes, there have been eleven cases of politicians reported since its launch in May, according to the General Prosecutor's Office in response to an inquiry. Mostly, these were cases of defamation. In total, there were 26 applications for access to the reporting portal. Public officials such as mayors, county councilors, and parliamentarians have been able to report defamation and threats on social media there since May and also submit evidence such as screenshots and links.
Brandenburg's Ministry of Justice reacted to an increase in hate crimes. Justice Minister Susanne Hoffmann (CDU) had said in May that hate and incitement were increasingly poisoning the political culture and social climate in society.
Can an investigation be initiated?
The reporting portal is intended to facilitate the submission of reports, which can then also be directly forwarded to the investigative authorities. The Central Office for the Suppression of Hate Crimes, which has two employees at the General Prosecutor's Office of the state, is responsible for the online reporting portal.
The authority checks whether the submissions represent actual prosecutable offenses and whether an investigation is initiated. Besides defamation on the net, there are also offenses such as public incitement to commit crimes involved.
Following the rise in hate crimes, the Ministry of Justice in Brandenburg highlighted the issue, with Justice Minister Susanne Hoffmann expressing concerns about the increasing presence of hate and incitement in politics and society. The Potsdam-based Central Office for the Suppression of Hate Crimes, a part of the General Prosecutor's Office, manages an online reporting portal against hate crimes. Utilizing this portal, politicians in Brandenburg, including mayors, county councilors, and parliamentarians, can report instances of criminality such as defamation and threats on the Internet, providing evidence in the form of screenshots and links. If justified, these cases could potentially lead to investigations, engaging with offenses beyond defamation, such as public incitement to commit crimes.
