There was a 23% rise in radical right-wing attacks in 2023.
In 2023, the Federal Criminal Police Office expects to record over 60,000 cases of politically motivated crimes, marking a significant growth. Approximately half of these incidents will be orchestrated by right-wing extremists. However, another group has become more active recently.
Last year saw a rise in politically motivated crimes in Germany, as reported in the case figures for Politically Motivated Crime 2023, which was presented by Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser and the President of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Münch, in Berlin. With 28,945 offenses, right-wing extremist-influenced cases dominated, representing a 23% increase compared to 2022.
However, the most notable increase was observed in religiously motivated crimes: The Federal Criminal Police Office recorded a whopping 203% growth, totaling 1,458 incidents in 2023 compared to 481 in the previous year. The figures have skyrocketed, particularly following the Hamas attack on Israel in October. The number of left-wing extremist crimes also increased, with a 11.5% jump to 7,777 from 6,976 in 2022.
"We're witnessing an all-time high in crimes targeting our open and liberal society," said Faeser. "We must show that the rule of law will not tolerate this violence. Both the judiciary and the police have a responsibility to act. Firm signals need to be sent to put a stop to it. This necessitates a high level of investigation pressure and prompt proceedings with concrete consequences," Faeser added.
It is crucial to safeguard individuals in Germany who encounter racism, anti-Semitism, Islamist violence, right-wing extremism, and left-wing extremism through aggression and menaces.
Nearly double the figure from a decade ago
Münch emphasized that politically motivated crimes had almost doubled in the past ten years and continue to rise. "We must take seriously the radicalization trends in some sections of the population, which involve efforts to undermine the state and its monopoly on the use of force," Münch cautioned.
According to the report, apart from the previously strong demonstration region, where there was a substantial drop in 2023, violent crimes have increased in all other phenomena areas. Overall, the number of politically motivated crimes rose by 1.89% to 60,028 offenses in 2023.
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- The rise in politically motivated crimes in 2023, as noted by Nancy Faeser and Holger Münch, also includes a significant increase in religiously motivated crimes, with a 203% growth in incidents affecting Islam and Judaism.
- In contrast to the rise in right-wing extremist-influenced crimes, which constituted 28,945 offenses, representing a 23% increase, left-wing extremism also saw a increase, with a 11.5% jump to 7,777 from 6,976 in 2022.
- Police forces, including the Federal Criminal Police Office, are under increasing pressure to address the rise in politically motivated crimes, including left-wing extremism, right-wing extremism, and Islamist violence, as highlighted by Faeser.
- Holger Münch, the President of the Federal Criminal Police Office, warned that politically motivated crimes have almost doubled in the past ten years and continue to rise, underscoring the need for vigilance and action against all forms of extremism, including left-wing extremism and right-wing extremism.
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