Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - Child crime is showing a worrying development in North Rhine-Westphalia. Last year, the number of suspected children rose by around 41 percent to almost 21,000 compared to the previous year. This emerges from a submission by NRW Interior Minister Herbert Reul (CDU) for the meeting of the Interior Committee on Thursday in the Düsseldorf state parliament. From 2020 to 2021 there had already been an increase of around 11 percent to 14,851 suspected children under the age of 14.
According to police crime statistics for 2022, with more than 14,000 suspects in this age group, most of them are male (14,138) and German (14,202). The number of suspected children has also increased continuously since 2020 (1698) in the solved violent crimes - most recently by a good 30 percent to 2779 compared to 2021 (1940).
The development of crime among children is due to a variety of factors, explained Reul in his report. "It is possible that the measures to contain the pandemic - especially the lockdown phases with the closure of schools and daycare centers - had negative effects on the children," it said. Initial studies showed "that the pandemic has reduced the quality of life and psychological well-being of children while increasing the risk of mental health problems". In addition, events such as the Ukraine war or the energy crisis had a negative impact on mental health.
"It is possible that these multiple burdens are expressed in an increase in children's willingness to use violence," explained Reul. From a criminological point of view, it should also be considered that psychological stress due to frustration experiences could trigger criminal behavior. Preventive offers are all the more important. In his report, the minister lists several programs.
