German authorities have registered 8,605 right-wing extremist offenses in the first half of 2019, according to the figures released by the Interior Ministry.
Compared to the first half of 2018, an increase of 900 far-right crimes was recorded during the same period this year, the ministry said in response to a parliamentary inquiry. The number of violent crimes, however, remained almost the same.
By the end of June, neo-Nazis and other far-right groups had committed 8,605 crimes nationwide, including 363 violent crimes, the ministry told Petra Pau, the vice president of the German parliament, on Wednesday. At least 179 people have been injured and so far only 23 people out of 2,625 suspects have been arrested for these offenses.
According to German public broadcaster ARD, the actual number of such crimes could be significantly higher as state police officials often classify right-wing offenses as non-political in their initial reports.
ARD also reported that parliamentary figures did not include the murder of Walter Lübcke, the head of the Kassel regional government, as a far-right crime.
Stephen E., a 45-year-old suspect, initially confessed to killing Lübcke in June over his pro-migrant views, but retracted the confession shortly thereafter.
Source: DW
