The police in Germany’s southwest solve more right-extremist crime but cannot solve every other case, according to Interior Ministry data shown to dpa.
As stated in the data, the crime-solving rate in the southwest was 47.6% last year, compared to 39.4% in 2018. The average crime-solving rate for all crimes in 2018 is 60.8%.
The police recorded an almost 10% rise in right-wing motivated crimes last year – from 1451 in 2018 to 1596 in 2019. Many of these crimes are so-called propaganda offenses such as smearing on swastikas, said a spokesman for the Interior Ministry. It is essential to note that the crime statistics only include crimes registered by the police – many cases remain unreported.
In the state of Baden-Württemberg, there were 10 politically motivated crimes again asylum centers in 2019. Seven of these were identified as right-wing acts.
The solving rate for right-wing extremist violent crimes, of which there were 40 in the previous year, was significantly higher, at 77.5%. The primary goal is to prevent an attack in Baden-Württemberg – regardless of the motive, the Interior Ministry said.
Most of the unsolved crimes are the ones that have a generally low solving rate such as crimes involving damages on properties.
Ralf Kusterer, police chief of the state, considers the prioritization of right-wing crimes to be the right thing to do. “It is good that we are more active in times of right-wing tendencies like these,” he said. “We can’t be at ease with this. The police must do its best to solve such crimes with great commitment – even if it is only to counter the accusation of being blind on the right eye."
