Fewer Politically Motivated Crimes Committed in Germany

Politically motivated crimes are on the decline in Germany. Six percent fewer offenses, or 20,477 in total, were registered last year, 1,213 less than in 2002, the Interior Ministry reported Thursday. The majority of the crimes, 11,576, were perpetrated by the right-wing scene, while 3,614 were attributed to left-wing extremists. Interior Minister Otto Schily pointed out that 48 percent more of the cases were solved, an increase of 5 percent over 2002. But Schily said he was concerned by the increase in violent anti-Semitic attacks from right-wing extremists, which he said was being carefully observed. The number of politically motivated crimes committed by foreigners, however, grew by 102 percent to 1,743. The ministry attributed the rise to radical Islamists.