The Interior Ministers’ Conference (IMK) has decided to adopt a new approach to dealing with mentally ill violent offenders, following the Aschaffenburg incident. According to Bundesinnenministerin Nancy Faeser, the IMK has agreed to take a stricter approach to mentally ill violent offenders, with the aim of identifying and intervening early to mitigate risks.
Faeser emphasized the need for data exchange between police, health, immigration and weapons authorities to better recognize and respond to the risks posed by mentally ill individuals. She also called for a review of the laws governing the commitment and care of dangerous, mentally ill individuals by the states.
The minister stressed the importance of taking action from the middle of the political spectrum, saying that this is crucial for maintaining social cohesion in the country. She expressed relief that the IMK had taken the incident seriously and was working to address its consequences.
Three laws, according to Faeser, will be quickly debated and passed in the German Bundestag: the implementation of the Common European Asylum System, a new federal police law to strengthen the Bundespolizei and new powers for security authorities, including facial recognition of serious offenders and the use of artificial intelligence in police data analysis.
These proposals, Faeser said, are already on the table and can be passed through the Bundestag from a neutral, democratic perspective, strengthening the country’s internal security and further reducing irregular migration.