Crime statistics 2021: More child abuse – fewer burglaries
Status: 05.04.2022 3:39 p.m
In 2021, fewer crimes were recorded in Germany overall. Corona also plays a role here: the number of burglaries has decreased noticeably. On the other hand, the number of cases of sexual violence against children has risen again.
The number of crimes recorded by the police fell for the fifth consecutive year in 2021, to a total of around five million cases. This corresponds to a decrease of 4.9 percent compared to the previous year, said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser at the presentation of the crime statistics for 2021 in Berlin.
The number of registered violent crimes also fell significantly by 6.8 percent compared to the previous year. At the same time, there was a new high with a clear-up rate of 58.7 percent.
Police have been strengthened
According to the statistics, the number of thefts fell by around twelve percent and that of burglaries by almost 28 percent. Accordingly, robbery offenses fell by around eleven percent, crimes against the weapons law by twelve and a half percent. “It is now paying off that the police force in the federal and state governments has been strengthened in recent years,” said Faeser.
The number of reported burglaries, which had already been declining in 2020 due to the sometimes tough lockdown measures and travel restrictions, fell again by 27.7 percent to 54,236 cases. On the other hand, the number of crimes committed via the Internet increased.
The chairman of the conference of interior ministers, Bavaria’s head of department Joachim Herrmann, sees a reason for the fall in criminal offenses in the effects of the corona pandemic. Shops were temporarily closed, which made shoplifting impossible. In addition, many people were in the home office, which deterred burglars, said the CSU politician.
Sexual violence against children is increasing
However, the statistics also have a downside. According to Faeser, this includes the “appalling extent” of sexual violence against children, which has more than doubled in some cases. “We have to stop this development,” said the SPD politician. Children are the most vulnerable in society.
According to this, the police registered more cases of sexualized violence against children and the spread of depictions of abuse in the past year. Around 15,500 cases have been reported. This corresponds to an increase of 6.3 percent.
Crime statistics 2021: Strong increase in child pornography
Claudia Kornmaier, ARD Berlin, daily news at 8:00 p.m., April 5, 2022
Cases of the distribution, acquisition, possession or production of so-called child pornography have more than doubled. The police registered 39,171 such cases (2020: 18,761). The number of cases of distribution or possession of youth pornography increased to 5,105 (2020: 3,107).
According to the information, one reason for this trend is that children and young people – often without knowing that this is prohibited – share child and young adult pornographic images in group chats and thus spread them, for example via WhatsApp, Instagram or Snapchat.
Attacks on police officers are increasing
Faeser also criticized the riots during corona protests, the violence against police officers, journalists and politicians and the attacks on vaccination centers. These are “unjustifiable by anything”. The number of attacks on law enforcement officials has increased by six percent.
According to statistics, the number of recorded drug offenses fell slightly in 2021, by 1.3 percent to 361,048 cases. However, the development varied depending on the drug. Police found increases in heroin, cocaine and crack and LSD, while the number of cases involving cannabis and amphetamines known to the police decreased.
