Questioning the Lawful Status: - The Minister expresses doubt.
Minister of Justice for Lower Saxony, Kathrin Wahlmann, has voiced concerns over the federal government's plan to downgrade the crime of fare evasion to a mere administrative offense. She told the "Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung" that there's a possibility that people, who currently pay their fares due to fear of punishment, may stop doing so in the future. This could lead to an increase in ticket prices, which the law-abiding passengers would have to bear, she warned.
Federal Minister of Justice, Marco Buschmann, unveiled draft proposals for criminal code reform in November, which aim to decriminalize fare evasion. In the future, traveling without a valid ticket should no longer be considered a criminal offense but an administrative offense.
According to a spokesperson from his ministry, a draft is set to be presented soon.
Wahlmann: Burden on Municipalities
Wahlmann argued that fraudulent service acquisition should be penalized like other fraud offenses, whether it occurs within the current Criminal Code framework or if the fraudulent acquisition of services gets downgraded to an administrative offense, she is open to discussing.
She also warned of an additional burden on municipalities: If fare evasion becomes an administrative offense, instead of fines, penalty fees would have to be paid, which municipalities would then enforce - a task that would add to their workload.
Prison Avoidance Unlikely
According to Wahlmann, the downgrade to an administrative offense wouldn't automatically lead to the avoidance of imprisonment. Those who refuse to pay the penalty fee end up in prison just like those who don't complete their sentences.
The CDU rejected the proposed changes to the criminality of fare evasion: "We often deal with repeat offenders who deliberately evade fares, and this group in particular should know that the state will not tolerate anything," said state parliamentarian Christian Calderone to the newspaper.
According to the report, transport companies like Üstra in Hannover file an additional 148,000 criminal charges every year, on top of increased fares.
In about 7,000 cases, so-called enforcement imprisonment occurs because offenders cannot pay the fine.
The Hanoverian General newspaper reported Minister Kathrin Wahlmann's criticism of the federal government's plan, expressing concerns about the potential impact on law-abiding passengers if fare evasion is downgraded to an administrative offense in the Hanoverian General newspaper. Moreover, the Hanoverian General newspaper also featured Wahlmann's warning about the additional burden on municipalities if penalty fees need to be enforced instead of fines.
