German Police Officer Disciplined for Publishing Hate Propaganda

03 April 2006

According to a 4 November 2005 article posted by the online newspaper Expatica, a German police officer was suspended and faces disciplinary action after publishing a text stating that Gypsies in Germany live like insects.

The text, published in 'Der Kriminalist', a magazine of the Federation of Criminal Police, described the Romani community as "like a 'maggot in fat' in Germany's wealthy society". The article further alleged that Roma in Germany were responsible for far more crime than other citizens and that they felt justified in stealing and illegally taking social welfare payments because of their persecution under the Nazi Third Reich. The author of the text questions "Is it really prejudice when citizens complain that Gypsies drive to the social welfare offices in a Mercedes?"

According to Expatica, the Central Council of German Gypsies and Roma condemned the article as "race-baiting". In response, the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior issued a statement informing the Council that the officer had been suspended and that state prosecutors were in the process of investigation. The ministry reportedly continued in their statement by saying "A general criminalising of a single part of the population, as here with the Gypsies and Roma, is totally unacceptable". As of 20 March 2006, the ERRC was unaware of the progress of the investigation or of any legal action taken against the police officer. Additional information on discrimination against Roma in Germany can be found at: www.errc.org.

(ERRC, Expatica)