BERLIN, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Violent crime in Germany declined slightly in 2025 for the first time since 2021, but the number of rape cases continued to increase, according to police crime statistics released on Monday.
Police recorded around 5.5 million offences nationwide in 2025, a decrease of 5.6 percent compared with the previous year. Violent crime fell by 2.3 percent, while the number of suspects dropped by 2.6 percent.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the decline in violent crime as "a beginning, but no reason for the all-clear."
Sexual offences remained at a high level, with reported rape cases rising by 9 percent in 2025 and up about 72 percent compared with 2018, the data showed. Hamburg's Interior Minister Andy Grote said the figures indicated that women in Germany are still not as safe as they should be and stressed the need for stronger protection for victims.
A parallel victim survey released alongside the statistics found that adolescents are increasingly affected by violent crime, while cybercrime and online fraud originating from abroad continue to rise. ■
