According to crime statistics, 4468 people became victims of a sexual offence in Berlin last year. This is a slight increase compared to 2019 (4438 victims) and a significant increase compared to 2018 (4040 victims).
In 2020, the police registered three places in the capital in particular where assaults were particularly frequent. This is the result of a comprehensive answer to a parliamentary question by MP Marcel Luthe (Freie Wähler). The newspaper WELT has access to the report in advance.
According to the police, most sexual offences in Berlin were registered on Alexanderplatz square. There, 146 offences were committed, followed by Wedding Zentrum district with 86 reported offences and Tempelhof district with 85 offences. Alexanderplatz is considered a crime-ridden location in Berlin. It has its own police station and public prosecutor.
Last year, 3121 suspects were identified for sexual offences. 94.9 per cent were male, 35.8 per cent did not have German citizenship, not counting migrants who had already been naturalised, according to the police. The proportion of suspects under 21 years of age was 23.6 per cent. 610 of the total of 4468 persons who were victims of a sexual offence suffered physical injuries. Of these, 16 were seriously injured and one fatally, according to the statistics.
The most significant increase in the statistics for victims of sexual offences so far was from 2016 (2669 victims) to 2017 (3654 victims). At that time, the legal situation changed. At the end of 2016, Germany’s sexual criminal law was tightened. The offence of sexual harassment was added. Since then, it is no longer only forced sex with violence or the threat of violence that is punishable. Instead, it is sufficient for the perpetrator to disregard the “recognisable will” of the victim. In this case, the offender can be sentenced to up to five years’ imprisonment.
Luthe told the newspaper WELT: “While petty crimes are decreasing in Berlin, the so-called crimes against victims, which cannot be ignored, have continued to increase. Luthe calls for rape victims in particular to be placed at the centre of police action and sharply attacks the Red-Red-Green Senate. “Protecting citizens from violence and securing their freedom is the central core task of the state, which Berlin is obviously not fulfilling,” Luthe added.
A total of 84,270 people became victims of crime in Berlin last year – also an all-time high. In the previous year, there were 82,954 people. Among them were 31,833 women and 52,437 men. Even if a person became a victim of a crime more than once, this was included in the statistics as a single case in an individual case. However, there are no statistics on how many “multiple victims” there are. The largest group is made up of 21 to 60 year olds with 62,874 persons.