Germany’s rail crime drops overall—but violent and sexual offenses surge in 2024
Crime rates in Germany’s rail environments and Federal Police jurisdictions showed mixed trends in 2024. While overall offenses dropped significantly, certain violent and sexual crimes rose sharply. The data highlights both progress and persistent challenges in public safety on trains and at stations.
The Federal Police recorded a total of 641,613 crimes in 2024 across its areas of responsibility. This figure represents an 18.8% decrease compared to the previous year. However, not all categories followed this downward trend.
Violent crimes on trains and at stations climbed by nearly 6%, reaching 27,160 cases. Knife-related incidents in these settings also rose by 9.7%, with 609 offenses documented. Sexual offenses in rail environments surged by 19.2%, totalling 2,262 cases. Of these, 55.1% involved sexual harassment, while 5.4% were serious crimes such as sexual assault, coercion, rape, or child abuse.
Attacks on Federal Police officers working in rail settings increased by 10.2%, with 2,230 assaults reported. In 12.5% of these attacks, objects like bottles, stones, or everyday items were used as weapons. Despite these rises, overall crime in rail settings fell by 10.1%, with 381,894 offenses recorded.
One positive shift was seen in residency law violations, which dropped by 36.4%. The total number of such offenses stood at 259,799 in 2024. Traffic-related crimes, however, did not follow the general decline, though specific figures were not provided.
The 2024 data reveals a complex picture of crime under the Federal Police’s jurisdiction. While overall offenses decreased, violent and sexual crimes in rail environments rose noticeably. The decline in residency violations contrasts with persistent issues like knife incidents and assaults on officers.
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