Hesse's public prosecutor's offices under pressure: 100 new jobs in sight!

Hesse's public prosecutor's offices under pressure: 100 new jobs in sight!

In Hesse, the rule of law is in danger of drowning - the public prosecutor's offices are overloaded! Over 100,000 unfinished investigations are piling up and the frustration is palpable. Justice Minister Christian Heinz has now pulled the emergency brake and plans to defuse the situation with 100 new jobs. A step that is urgently needed because crime in Hesse is increasing, be it domestic violence, internet crimes or anti-Semitism.

The alarm bells rang months ago when the heads of public prosecutors warned in an urgent letter to Heinz: “The rule of law is in danger!” If prosecutors don't keep up, there could be delays in sentencing. On Tuesday, Heinz will announce in the state parliament that the draft budget for 2025 provides for the creation of 100 new positions - a measure that is intended to strengthen both prosecutors and employees in the offices.

A promise in difficult times

The increase is part of Heinz's first government statement, which has the motto "In challenging times: strengthening trust in the rule of law". But while new jobs are being created, savings are being made elsewhere: 180 million euros are to be saved by postponing the salary increase for state civil servants. Heinz is optimistic that the judiciary will be exempt from these austerity measures as the burden here is “extraordinarily high”.

But the 100 new jobs are just a drop in the ocean! The public prosecutor's office is calling for a total of 374 new positions in order to bring the workload to a tolerable level. The public prosecutors in Hesse are currently working with a workload ratio of 140 percent - each of them is working on almost one and a half positions! Employee health suffers and the quality of work could suffer as a result. Parliamentary deliberations on the draft budget are expected to begin in December, and final adoption could take until the new year.