Justice Committee clearly rejects reduction in the freath of punishment!

Justice Committee clearly rejects reduction in the freath of punishment!

The National Council judicial committee has decidedly rejected the FPÖ's request to reduce the freath of punishment for 12 years. This decision was supported by the government parties ÖVP, SPÖ, Neos and the Greens. With the recommendation to reject this initiative, the parties show a clear position against this drastic measure. The reason for the processes is the increase in the age of 14, who have become suspected of what the FPÖ approaches as an argument for reducing the freath of punishment. However, experts from the SPÖ and NEOS pointed out that such a reduction did not appear to be preventive and is not an effective means of combating youth crime, such as OTS " reports .

In addition to discussion about the penalty, the FPÖ also applied for criminal sanctioning illegal border crossings. However, this claim was also rejected. Markus Tschank, an FPÖ MP, doubted the government parties' arguments and claimed that the creation of a new criminal offense could have a deterrent effect. The Justice Committee also dealt with further FPÖ applications, including a tightening of the reasons for punishment for perpetrators: inside with asylum application, but these were also rejected.

background to youth crime

The connection between youth crime and social factors such as migration background is currently being examined intensively. A study by Christian Walburg, a lawyer and criminologist, shows that structural and social conditions play a role in particular. According to the study, young criminals are especially young men; 84% of boys and 69% of the girls between the ages of 13 and 18 have committed a crime at least once. However, the majority of the offenses are usually minor, such as property damage or smaller thefts. Only 5-7% of young people have been punished regularly, and the criminal offense has dropped since the turn of the millennium, which is partly due to better prevention measures, such as explains .

An increase in youth criminal diability has been perceived since 2016, but the COVID 19 years have had a negative impact on the data situation. In 2022, around 39% of adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19 had a migration background, while in metropolitan areas such as Stuttgart and Berlin, this proportion is even 60% and 55%. It is important to emphasize that migration experience does not lead directly to the punishment, as Walburg states in his study; Rather, social and economic conditions play a crucial role.

recommendations for prevention

Walburg emphasizes that support for newly immigrated young people, especially in the areas of language skills and social contacts, is of great importance. Improvement of offers in daycare centers and schools for disadvantaged children as well as youth -adequate police work and effective youth social work are necessary to prevent crimes and reduce potential for violence in families and communities. He recommends focusing on specific topics such as violent and masculinity settings with regard to family education.