BERLIN, March 20 (Xinhua) -- More than 84,000 politically motivated crimes were committed in Germany last year, up 40 percent year-on-year and representing the highest number since the statistics were collected in 2001, the annual report of the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) said Tuesday.
The report noted that propaganda offenses, property damage, insults, incitement to hatred, coercion, and threats accounted for the majority of politically motivated crimes in 2024.
The data also highlights a sharp rise in election-related offenses, with cases in the "Election Context" soaring by 427 percent, from 2,238 in 2023 to 11,788 in 2024. Compared to the 2021 super election year, this also represents a 12.4 percent increase.
Crimes motivated by right-wing ideologies saw the most significant increase, rising by 47.8 percent and accounting for more than half of all politically motivated offenses registered by the police. Also, right-wing violent crimes, such as homicides and bodily injuries, surged by 17.2 percent in 2024.
"The unprecedented increase in the number of cases of politically motivated crimes is a worrying development," said Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt. "The current statistics once again underline the urgent need for a joint security offensive by the federal and state governments." ■