23 April 2021, In the press
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29 March 2021, In the press
“A Risk of being Charged with and Sentenced for Intentional Homicide”
The German Ethics Council discussed triage decisions under pandemic conditions in an online evening panel with external experts. In particular, the discussion focused on the fundamental ethical and legal conflicts that arise in triage situations. Among the guests were Tatjana Hörnle (Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law), Christoph Rehmann-Sutter (Lübeck University), and …
24 March 2021, In the press
Triage in the Pandemic
What happens when two patients equally need urgent medical assistance but the resources available are only enough for one of them? Numerous medical associations and scientific bodies in Germany provide advice on how to proceed in such situations, albeit in the form of non-binding ethical recommendations. In an interview with “Der Spiegel” Tatjana Hörnle explains what a triage law should include…
12 March 2021, In the press
Femicide in Germany
In Germany, there is currently no femicide category in crime statistics to record the intentional killing of women or girls. Some experts on the matter, including MPI senior researcher Gunda Wössner, say this has to change if we are to truly understand the facts behind the crime.
5 February 2021, In the press
“Public Sense of Security Improves”
More than 90% of Baden-Württemberg’s residents would like to see more police officers in their state. This was the result of a recently published survey conducted by the Allensbach Institute on behalf of all daily newspapers in southwestern Germany. In an interview with the newspaper “Badische Zeitung,” criminologist Dietrich Oberwittler describes this as a “snapshot result.” Repeated surveys hav…
8 January 2021, In the press
No Means No – Four Years of Reforming the Law of Sexual Offences
9 December 2020, In the press
“The Opposite of a Well-Conceived Reform”
Criminal law experts delivered a scathing rebuke of a draft law to combat sexual violence against children. During a Bundestag hearing held on December 7, 2020, Tatjana Hörnle, director at the Max Planck Institute, commented that the large sections of the draft are “the exact opposite of a systematic, well-conceived reform.” While the draft addresses the outrage regarding these heinous crimes and…
26 October 2020, In the press
The Meaning and Purpose of Data Protection
What do we want to protect with the right to informational self-determination? In an interview with Corona Constitutional, the podcast of the Verfassungsblog (constitutional blog), Ralf Poscher talks about surveillance in the digital space, the right to data protection and privacy, and the potential dangers of mass surveillance. One of the background issues is the federal government's planned int…
18 September 2020, In the press
“New Ideas in the Fight against Money Laundering”
The coronavirus pandemic has encouraged the growth of organized crime in Germany. However, according to Dr. Benjamin Vogel and Dr. Clara Rigoni (senior researchers at the MPI-CSL), effective tools for law enforcement are lacking. This has to change.
25 August 2020, In the press
“Why Reform of the Money Laundering Section Misses the Mark”
Why does the recently presented draft law to improve the fight against money laundering miss its goal? In his Verfassungsblog post, senior researcher Benjamin Vogel argues in favor of a fundamental new criminal law approach.
12 August 2020, In the press
“Strong Trust in Police Despite Racism Accusations”
“The Police: Friend or Foe?” This was the motto of a digital lunchtime discussion hosted by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Südbaden on August 10. Armin Schuster (Member of Parliament from Lörrach) and Ralf Poscher (Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg) were invited to exchange views.
4 August 2020, In the press
“Stricter Laws are a Sign of Helplessness”
In Germany, a number of child abuse cases have dominated the headlines in recent months. Amidst calls for harsher punishment for the perpetrators, the Federal Ministry of Justice presented initial reform proposals at the beginning of July. But what effect could stricter laws have? Tatjana Hörnle, Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, is sceptical. She has …
21 July 2020, In the press
ZuRecht – Police in an Open Society
After George Floyd’s death, thousands of citizens across the United States and Europe took to the streets to protest against racism and police violence. One topic that has repeatedly been discussed in the context of these protests concerns the role of diversity, discrimination, and racism in both police training and everyday police work. Starting in autumn 2019, the project ZuRecht - Die Polizei …
17 July 2020, In the press
“When Men Kill their Female Partners”
The numbers of femicides have remained consistently high over the past years. One thing all perpetrators have in common is patriarchal ideas and an extreme image of masculinity, says Bayerischer Rundfunk, which cites Gunda Wössner, criminal psychologist at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law.
30 June 2020, In the press
“One has to Fight for a Liberal Police Culture”
The police forces currently find themselves in the focus of public debate. This was triggered partly by the attacks on police officers in Stuttgart by rioting youths. For another part, police violence against blacks in the USA has also brought up the issue of racism in police work in Germany. Ralf Poscher, Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law is investigat…
29 June 2020, In the press
“Sexual Offences Against Children Occur in Varying Degrees of Severity”
If serious serial crimes involving child sexual abuse and the distribution of child pornographic images are detected, as was recently the case in Münster and Lügde, demands for a tightening of criminal law quickly follow. However, there is a discrepancy between public expectations and the scope for national legal policy, writes Tatjana Hörnle, director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of…
24 June 2020, In the press
“Confronting Shameful Legacy Is Essential Part of Police Training”
Ralf Poscher, director of the Department of Public Law, told the New York Times that, after the Second World War, the Allies wanted to demilitarize and civilize police matters in Germany. More than seven decades later, that early ambition of demilitarization has morphed into a broad-based strategy of de-escalation that has become the bedrock of modern German policing.
28 May 2020, In the press
Quarantine without Protection
As would-be criminals heed stay-at-home orders, major cities across the globe have reported a significant drop in both property and violent crimes. The numbers of burglary, assault, murder, robbery, and grand larceny cases have dropped following the outbreak of the pandemic. This is due to the lack of opportunities, and the recognition that life is worth staying away from the public for. But for …