In an effort to prevent violent crimes in Germany, the Union is planning to strengthen the cooperation between security authorities and psychiatric institutions. According to a report by the “Rheinische Post”(Monday edition), a draft bill submitted by the CDU/CSU parties in the upcoming week proposes a “policy shift in internal security”. The document aims to improve the collaboration between security agencies and psychotherapists for the protection of the public against violent offenders.
A new category of dangerous individuals will be introduced, focusing on those with a mental illness, the Union stated. The CDU/CSU parties assured that the initiative will not stigmatize people with mental health issues. The move is prompted by recent terrorist attacks, such as the ones in Mannheim and Solingen, as well as the murders of migrants with a history of mental health issues, like the recent cases in Magdeburg and Aschaffenburg. In the latter, a 28-year-old Afghan man, who was reportedly mentally ill and subject to deportation, was arrested as the suspect after the murder of a two-year-old Moroccan boy and a man in Aschaffenburg last Wednesday.