Criminal statistics - NRW police should in future name nationality of suspects
The nationality of suspects should in principle be named by police authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia for the media in the future. The media directive for the Police will be revised accordingly, confirmed the Duesseldorf Interior Ministry in response to corresponding media reports. Principally, this instruction will apply to all crimes where the suspect is clearly identified. If the responsible public prosecutor comes to the conclusion in individual cases that the nationality should not be named in the media, this will be respected.
This regulation aims to create transparency, explained the Ministry. "Furthermore, the Police NRW wants to counteract speculation and the allegation that it is hiding something."
Until now, the press and public relations work of the Police North Rhine-Westphalia has largely followed the Code of the German Press Council since 2011. Accordingly, the nationality or origin of perpetrators or suspects should only be named if the legitimate interest of the public outweighs the protected interests of the affected person.
However, there are increasingly frequent journalistic inquiries about the nationality in connection with criminal offenses, said a spokesperson. A new formulation of the directive seems necessary.
In recent years, there has been a broad societal debate about whether migration also brings crime into the country and which groups are particularly affected in which crime areas. The AfD opposition has been inquiring about the first names of perpetrators in their parliamentary inquiries for years to find out more. In many cases, the lengthy lists of the Duesseldorf Interior Ministry have shown that typically German names appear just as frequently in the criminal statistics as names that may suggest a migration background.
Critics of the naming of nationalities fear that this could provide ammunition for racist agitation. Proponents argue, however, that only transparency can debunk speculation and false claims.
- The revision of the police directive in Düsseldorf, as stated by the Interior Ministry, will mandate the disclosure of suspects' nationalities in media reports for most crimes.
- The new media guideline for the Police headquarters in North Rhine-Westphalia will align with the revised policy, as confirmed by the Interior Ministry.
- The Interior Ministry in Düsseldorf emphasized that this regulation aims to promote transparency and counteract speculation, particularly in relation to criminality.
- The public prosecutor's office holds the authority to decide, on a case-by-case basis, whether a suspect's nationality should remain confidential in certain instances.
- The rules for press and public relations in the Police North Rhine-Westphalia have largely adhered to the German Press Council's Code since 2011, restricting the disclosure of perpetrators' nationalities.
- The frequent media inquiries about suspects' nationalities in cases of criminal offenses have prompted the need for a reevaluation of the media directive in North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The debate in German society about migration and its impact on criminality has been a significant factor in the renewed focus on disclosing suspects' nationalities in criminal statistics.
