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Anti-Semitic crime in Berlin doubles in prevalence in four years: report

The Local Germany
The Local Germany - [email protected]
Anti-Semitic crime in Berlin doubles in prevalence in four years: report
Photo: DPA

The number of anti-Semitic crimes recorded in Berlin increased twofold between 2013 and 2017, according to a report in Tagesspiegel on Thursday.

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Police figures seen by the Berlin newspaper show that 288 crimes classified as anti-Semitic were recorded by the capital’s police in 2017, which is slightly less than double the 149 crimes recorded in 2013.

Police figures also make clear that reported anti-Semitic crime has risen steadily in recent years. In 2014 there were 176 reported incidents and in 2016, some 197 anti-Semitic crimes were recorded.

It still remains unclear what type of crimes those that took place last year were.

Tagesspiegel reports that there is has been no analysis published explaining the rise in anti-Semitic crime, but that police and city officials believe it is connected to the increased number of migrants from the Middle East living in the city.

The crimes could also be connected to heightened mobilization of the radical right, the report states.

The current method for classifying anti-Semitic crime has been criticized for its accuracy in identifying motives. Unless there is specific evidence to the contrary, the crime is classified as far-right.

A special commission into anti-Semitism, which published a report last year, said that “there is likely a distorted picture of anti-Semitic crime which exaggerates right-wing motives and perpetrators.”

SEE ALSO: Let's be careful before we talk about rising anti-Semitism in Germany

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