German police 'are completely failed by justice system'
The head of Germany's second largest police union has harshly attacked the country's justice system, after a court in Wuppertal ruled that so-called "sharia police" are legal.
Rainer Wendt, head of the German Police Union (DpolG), told the Passauer Neue Presse (PNP) on Wednesday that the German judiciary are far too weak in dealing with known criminals.
“These days the full force of the law often means we collect personal details from offenders and the judges let them go free,” said Wendt.
Wendt was referring to two recent incidents which involved the German judiciary.
On Monday a court in the western town of Wuppertal ruled that a group of Islamists did not break the law in forming "sharia police" street patrols and telling people to stop drinking, gambling and listening to music.
The city's district court ruled that the seven accused members of the group did not breach a ban on political uniforms when they approached people while wearing orange vests bearing the words "Sharia Police".
The decision came less than a week after police in several German states worked around the clock to carry out raids against the Salafist scene.
“That is an unbelievable and devastating signal,” said Wendt, adding that police ”feel completely failed by the justice system.”
The union boss also claimed that the justice system was at fault in the case of a man who tied the mother of his child to a rope and dragged her behind his car on Sunday.
The woman suffered life-threatening injuries and is currently in an induced coma in a hospital in Hanover.
Wendt told the PNP that the 38-year-old man was a known offender with a long criminal record to his name, adding that only two days before the crime, the victim had reported him to police.
“A judge will be found who will say that he has a good chance of being rehabilitated,” according to Wendt.
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Rainer Wendt, head of the German Police Union (DpolG), told the Passauer Neue Presse (PNP) on Wednesday that the German judiciary are far too weak in dealing with known criminals.
Wendt was referring to two recent incidents which involved the German judiciary.
On Monday a court in the western town of Wuppertal ruled that a group of Islamists did not break the law in forming "sharia police" street patrols and telling people to stop drinking, gambling and listening to music.
The city's district court ruled that the seven accused members of the group did not breach a ban on political uniforms when they approached people while wearing orange vests bearing the words "Sharia Police".
The decision came less than a week after police in several German states worked around the clock to carry out raids against the Salafist scene.
“That is an unbelievable and devastating signal,” said Wendt, adding that police ”feel completely failed by the justice system.”
The union boss also claimed that the justice system was at fault in the case of a man who tied the mother of his child to a rope and dragged her behind his car on Sunday.
The woman suffered life-threatening injuries and is currently in an induced coma in a hospital in Hanover.
Wendt told the PNP that the 38-year-old man was a known offender with a long criminal record to his name, adding that only two days before the crime, the victim had reported him to police.
“A judge will be found who will say that he has a good chance of being rehabilitated,” according to Wendt.
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