Düsseldorf.
The NRW anti-Semitism officer wants to stop football games if there are insulting incidents. She wants to better protect witnesses.
The North Rhine-Westphalian anti-Semitism commissioner Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger is in favor of cancel football games, when there are anti-Semitic incidents, cases of racism or homophobia. “Then the rest of the spectators, who have also paid a lot of money for a game, will not accept this bullying so easily,” she told the Düsseldorf “Rheinische Post” on Friday. The professional clubs in NRW have already done a lot against anti-Semitism and racism. However, she would like more activities in amateur clubs.
In North Rhine-Westphalia there were a total of 331 anti-Semitic crimes last year, a year earlier the number was over 400, said the FDP politician and former Federal Minister of Justice. “But that’s not a reason to give the all-clear. The number is still too high.” She expects the first results of a dark field study commissioned by her at the beginning of next year. “And at the same time, since April 2022, the Rias NRW registration office has been recording anti-Semitic incidents below the criminal law limit,” she explained. “The figures will be presented for the first time in June.”
NRW sees right-wing extremism as “currently the greatest political danger”
In general, according to the findings of the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, right-wing extremism is currently the greatest political danger, said the anti-Semitism officer. This corresponds to the statistics on politically motivated crime, even if unclear, anti-Semitic individual acts tend to do so right-wing extremism would be assigned. “But it is also becoming more difficult to attribute because there are fewer clear groups and structures,” she emphasized. There is not “one group of anti-Semites”. “It can be found in all social classes, whether educated or not, whether politically left or right, as well as in Islamism,” explained Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger.
The FDP politician told the “Rheinische Post” that the number of ads was too low. “Many of those affected say that it is of no use and that in the end the proceedings will be discontinued,” she explained. “That’s why I’m strictly against courts ending provable incidents because of insignificance.” In addition, many would have Angstthat the defendant’s lawyer would learn the name and address.
Witnesses do not necessarily have to be noted in the files with their specific address. “Unfortunately, not everyone is aware that there is protection if there is a suspicion of danger,” emphasized Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. They advertise to make this better known. “In addition to prevention, the consistent fight against anti-Semitism includes precisely that consistent prosecution of crimes“, she said. (epd)
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