Germany's acting Federal Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, unveiled the Police Crime Statistics for 2024, which indicate a concerning rise in sexual violence incidents, juxtaposed with a minor decline in overall crime rates.

The statistics show a total of 13,320 recorded cases of rape and sexual assault, marking a 9.3% increase from the 2023 figure of 12,186.

Of the 11,329 identified suspects, 6,892 were German nationals, while 4,437 were non-Germans, accounting for approximately 39% of the suspects.

Faeser described the increase in sexual violence incidents against women as alarming, asserting the need for more decisive action from the state, including the introduction of an enhanced protection system, improved prosecution efforts, and the use of electronic monitoring devices to deter potential offenders from approaching victims.

She emphasized that prioritizing women's safety should be a central focus for the incoming government.

The report also indicated that nearly 43,000 offenses against sexual self-determination were documented, with women constituting 91.3% of the victims.

Authorities noted that the rise in statistics could be partially attributed to heightened awareness and an increased willingness among victims to report incidents, suggesting a movement from the 'dark field' of unreported crimes to the 'bright field' of documented cases.

Meanwhile, records of child sexual abuse offenses remained stable, with 16,354 cases registered, reflecting a slight decrease of 21 from the previous year.

In contrast, there was a 5.2% decline in child pornography cases, totaling 57,760, while instances of youth pornography rose by 8.5% to 9,601.

Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the Left Party (BSW), voiced criticism of Faeser’s management of the situation, characterizing the statistics as a negative reflection on her performance as Interior Minister.

She labeled the rise in sexual offenses as a scandal and insisted that women's safety must become a priority for the new government, stating that a minister with such a record should not remain in office.

The overall 2024 Police Crime Statistics reveal rising concerns regarding violent crime.

While total reported crime decreased by 1.7% to approximately 5.83 million cases, this decline has been significantly affected by the partial legalization of cannabis on April 1, 2024. Conversely, violent crime rose by 1.5%, reaching over 217,000 cases, the highest number since 2007. Additionally, 6.3% of violent crimes, including murder, manslaughter, rape, and aggravated bodily harm, involved the use or threat of knives.

The incidence of firearms used in violent threats also saw a 6% increase in the past year.

Notably, the proportion of suspected perpetrators who are non-German rose by 7.5%, although the Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) pointed out that the proportion of foreigners in the population had also increased during the same period.