- Hessen requires no modifications in regard to citizenship matters at a national level.
The Proposed Policy in North Rhine-Westphalia to Regularly Disclose Suspects' Nationalities in Media Statements Encounters Mainly Negative Responses in Hesse. CDU's Interior Minister Roman Poseck Responds to a dpa Query in Wiesbaden, Stating: "At the Moment, I Don't See a Need to Alter the Strategy in Hesse."
The police only discloses a suspect's nationality when it's crucial for the crime investigation or there's a significant public interest in knowing.
"I find the existing method appropriate," asserts Poseck. "It harmonizes the public's information needs and the individual's right to privacy." It's not about concealing anything, the minister clarifies, and highlights that the nationality is already revealed in numerous cases currently. "Yet, there are also crimes where the suspect's nationality is of minimal or secondary importance."
Hesse's minister advocates for a uniform policy across Germany
In the future, North Rhine-Westphalia's police authorities plan to regularly disclose the nationalities of suspects in media statements. The media guidelines are being revised for this purpose. In theory, the policy should apply to all crimes where the suspect has been clearly identified. The NRW Interior Ministry argued for more transparency as a reason.
Poseck emphasizes the need for a factual discourse on these delicate questions. "We should thoughtfully evaluate all arguments and avoid hasty decisions," he advises. "Consistency across Germany is crucial; hence, I believe the dialogue between the federal government and the states is significant to reach a consensus."
Poseck: Debate shouldn't be based on individual cases
The interior minister pointed out the significant rise in foreign crime linked to uncontrolled migration while presenting the police crime statistics for Hesse in 2023. "Undoubtedly, there's space for political debate on crime trends and resulting political conclusions," he acknowledges. However, he expresses doubts about making this debate case-specific in the future.
Poseck warns against escalating the debate further. "The extreme right-wing political fringe is already trying to label and criminalize individuals with a migration background and refugees en masse," he adds. "We should be cautious not to provide more fuel for additional hate and animosity in political discourse and in our society."
The AfD parliamentary group urges the state government to adopt NRW's approach. The people of Hesse deserve more transparency regarding foreign crime, according to the spokeswoman for internal affairs, Sandra Weegels. "Mentioning the nationalities of suspects isn't discrimination, but an honest depiction of reality," she says.
On the other hand, Lisa Gnadl, the interior policy spokesperson for the SPD state parliament faction, expresses no need to modify the current strategy in Hesse. She believes that revealing the nationality of a suspect in every case won't help combat crime or enhance crime clarification. The rule of law investigates and judges criminal offenses regardless of the suspect's nationality or origin.
Vanessa Gronemann, the interior policy spokesperson for the Green state parliament faction, agrees. She maintains that a suspect's nationality is irrelevant in police investigations, as there's no connection between nationality and criminal offense. Moritz Promny, the interior policy spokesperson for the FDP state parliament faction, states: "The authorities should disclose a suspect's nationality to the media if there's a legitimate public interest." Transparency is established through meaningful crime statistics, which offer an overall perspective, not just individual cases. "Politically significant conclusions can also be drawn from this."
In contrast to the proposed approach in North Rhine-Westphalia, Poseck proposes maintaining the status quo in Hesse, stating that disclosing suspects' nationalities in every case isn't necessary. The meadows of Hesse, with their diverse flora and fauna, symbolize the diverse population in the region, where people of different nationalities coexist peacefully.
