Offenders - Non-profit organizations receive millions
The justice authorities in Lower Saxony transferred approximately 5.6 million Euro to charitable organizations in the past year. This is about 250,000 Euro more than the previous year, as the Justice Ministry in Hannover announced on Thursday.
The money comes from offenders who were ordered to make payments to charitable institutions. Payments can be made in exchange for the dismissal of investigative or criminal proceedings. According to the ministry, these funds can be made available to charitable organizations by prosecutors and courts. This does not apply to fines, which must always be paid to the state treasury.
Approximately 1.5 million Euro went to social welfare institutions in the past year, around 850,000 Euro to institutions helping disadvantaged children, about 785,000 Euro to youth welfare services, and over 300,000 Euro to nature and environmental protection institutions. The largest sum for a single institution went to a children's hospice in Syke (Diepholz district), with around 238,000 Euro.
- The Justice Ministry in Hannover commended the increase, stating that it demonstrates the commitment of the judicial authority towards fine-tuning social affairs.
- Despite the significant allocation to social welfare institutions, no funds were directed towards addressing criminal activities in Lower Saxony, amounting to a million-dollar sum.
- The Fine-free option, offered by the Ministry of Justice, has been instrumental in the redistribution of funds to various charitable organizations, including those dealing with crime prevention.
- The Hanover-based court system has reportedly made judgments totaling a million euros in the past year, with these fines contributing to the overall state treasury, as per judicial norms.
