Justice Committee rejects FPÖ demand for reducing the feasibility!

Justice Committee rejects FPÖ demand for reducing the feasibility!

Berlin, Deutschland - The National Council judicial committee decidedly rejected the FPÖ's request on April 1, 2025 to reduce the age of 12 years. This was reported ots.at . The government parties received support from the opposition factions SPÖ, Neos and the Greens, which also voted against the increasing demands of the FPÖ. This had argued that the number of suspects had risen under the age of 14 and saw a solution in a reduction in penalty.

In addition, the other political groups rejected two further demands of the FPÖ: the criminal sanctioning of illegal border crossings and the tightening of the reasoning in the criminal code for perpetrators: inside with asylum application. FPÖ MP Markus Tschank argued that a new criminal offense would create a deterrent effect, but this concern was not heard.

The state of youth crime

The debate about the reduction in the age of punishment is carried out against the background of a study by the lawyer and criminologist Christian Walburg from the University of Münster, which examines the connection between quarter with a high proportion of migration and youth crime. In this study, it is found that 84% of boys and 69% of the girls between the ages of 13 and 18 have become delinquent at least once, with most offenses easy, such as property damage or smaller thefts Tagesspiegel.de .

A remarkable point of the study is that 39% of young people between the ages of 15 and 19 have a migration background. In metropolitan areas, this proportion is even higher, such as in Stuttgart (60%) and Berlin (55%). The factual situation shows that there is no direct correlation between migration experience and criminal offense. Instead, social factors such as poverty and educational methods often cause the behavior of young people.

Walburg emphasizes that 37.4% of young people with a migration background come from families at risk of poverty. A lack of resources from parents and difficult living conditions can increase the likelihood of becoming a criminal offense. Other factors such as group dynamics and dealing with alcohol play an important role.

prevention and support

In order to meet youth crime, Walburg emphasizes the need to address violence and masculinity settings in families and schools as well as to improve the offers for disadvantaged children in daycare centers and schools. Adequate police work and intensive youth social work are also essential.

In the further course of the session, the FPÖ also proposed a new regulation of the bias rule for judges: inside, but this was postponed. This happened in the context of the desire of the government parties after a faster procedure. Two proposals of the law on the subjects of sustainability reporting and the wife were also postponed at the meeting.

The argument about the age of punishment and the associated legal and social issues shows how complex and complex the debate about youth crime in Austria is. A differentiated view of the causes and the development of sustainable solutions are still in focus.