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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Germany accused of failing to tackle racist violence | Germany accused of failing to tackle racist violence |
| (3 months later) | |
| A rise in hate crime across Germany and signs of “institutional racism” among law enforcement agencies indicate the country is failing to tackle racist violence as efficiently as it could, Amnesty International has said. | A rise in hate crime across Germany and signs of “institutional racism” among law enforcement agencies indicate the country is failing to tackle racist violence as efficiently as it could, Amnesty International has said. |
| In a report released on Thursday, the human rights group said that even before the influx of more than a million refugees and migrants last year, authorities had not adequately investigated, prosecuted or sentenced people for racist crimes. | In a report released on Thursday, the human rights group said that even before the influx of more than a million refugees and migrants last year, authorities had not adequately investigated, prosecuted or sentenced people for racist crimes. |
| Marco Perolini, an Amnesty researcher, said the murders of nine immigrants and a German policewoman between 2000 and 2007 by a small neo-Nazi cell, the National Socialist Underground (NSU), were proof of the slow progress of police investigations. | Marco Perolini, an Amnesty researcher, said the murders of nine immigrants and a German policewoman between 2000 and 2007 by a small neo-Nazi cell, the National Socialist Underground (NSU), were proof of the slow progress of police investigations. |
| After a 19-month inquiry into the NSU, a parliamentary committee said a combination of bungled investigations and prejudice had enabled the cell to go undetected for more than a decade. | After a 19-month inquiry into the NSU, a parliamentary committee said a combination of bungled investigations and prejudice had enabled the cell to go undetected for more than a decade. |
| The Amnesty report suggests Germany set up an independent public inquiry to examine the NSU investigations and how the country classifies and investigates hate crime. | The Amnesty report suggests Germany set up an independent public inquiry to examine the NSU investigations and how the country classifies and investigates hate crime. |
| Perolini expressed concerns over “the long-standing and well-documented shortcomings in the response of law enforcement agencies to racist violence”. | Perolini expressed concerns over “the long-standing and well-documented shortcomings in the response of law enforcement agencies to racist violence”. |
| Responding to the report, Germany’s justice minister, Heiko Maas, said his ministry would evaluate the findings and examine whether action needed to be taken. | Responding to the report, Germany’s justice minister, Heiko Maas, said his ministry would evaluate the findings and examine whether action needed to be taken. |
| “One thing is clear. A state under the rule of law can never accept racist violence. We need to do everything we can to quickly catch the perpetrators and rigorously punish them,” he said in an statement emailed to Reuters. | “One thing is clear. A state under the rule of law can never accept racist violence. We need to do everything we can to quickly catch the perpetrators and rigorously punish them,” he said in an statement emailed to Reuters. |
| The current German legal system, which has been in place since 2001, classifies hate crimes as a subset of politically motivated crime. | The current German legal system, which has been in place since 2001, classifies hate crimes as a subset of politically motivated crime. |
| Amnesty says that as such, these crimes are being transferred to specialised police units, which do not appear as responsive to indicators of hate crimes as they should be. The number officers in these specialised units and their resources have nevertheless increased over the past few years, the report says. | Amnesty says that as such, these crimes are being transferred to specialised police units, which do not appear as responsive to indicators of hate crimes as they should be. The number officers in these specialised units and their resources have nevertheless increased over the past few years, the report says. |
| In 2015 there were 1,031 attacks on asylum shelters, up from 199 on the previous year and 69 in 2013, data from the interior ministry shows, according to Reuters. There were 347 such attacks registered in the first quarter of 2016 and, according to the interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, the number is likely to rise again this year. | In 2015 there were 1,031 attacks on asylum shelters, up from 199 on the previous year and 69 in 2013, data from the interior ministry shows, according to Reuters. There were 347 such attacks registered in the first quarter of 2016 and, according to the interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, the number is likely to rise again this year. |
| Ciwan B, an ethnic Kurd who fled Syria and was attacked in Dresden in September 2015, told Amnesty: “All my friends were afraid after the attack against me. I escaped a war in Syria and I don’t need to face tensions here in Germany. I just would like to work … and to have a good life, as I had before the war.” | Ciwan B, an ethnic Kurd who fled Syria and was attacked in Dresden in September 2015, told Amnesty: “All my friends were afraid after the attack against me. I escaped a war in Syria and I don’t need to face tensions here in Germany. I just would like to work … and to have a good life, as I had before the war.” |
| Refugees who arrived in Munich last September were applauded and handed sweets, but the mood has since soured, with concerns about integration and security rife, and support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) on the rise. | Refugees who arrived in Munich last September were applauded and handed sweets, but the mood has since soured, with concerns about integration and security rife, and support for the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) on the rise. |
| About six anti-refugee protests took place every week in 2015, Amnesty said. | About six anti-refugee protests took place every week in 2015, Amnesty said. |
| In 2015 more than a million refugees and migrants entered Germany, and the government has been transforming military bases and other public property into camps where food, drink and other supplies are delivered daily. The rate of arrivals has since slowed. | In 2015 more than a million refugees and migrants entered Germany, and the government has been transforming military bases and other public property into camps where food, drink and other supplies are delivered daily. The rate of arrivals has since slowed. |