Sex offender Hans-Jürgen M. (58) casually strolls through the city of Freiburg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. A plain clothes policeman follows close on his heels. The criminal, who raped multiple women, is considered at high risk of reoffending.
But a week ago, after more than 20 years in prison, Hans-Jürgen M. had to be released.
Insane justice!
Seven institutions have refused to take him in. For the time being, he is living in a 14 sq.-metre room in a residential establishment for men.
Five policemen follow the sex offender – either on foot or in two silver Opel Vectra cars. Now and then they exchange a word with the ‘target’.
For his first outing the rapist went to the offices of health insurance firm AOK, and then to a furniture store. The other customers had no idea who was walking in their midst…
The case of Hans-Jürgen M. is a perfect example of the unresolved issue of preventative detention for dangerous criminals.
Since a European Court of Human Rights ruling that the German system of keeping offenders locked up after their sentences had expired for the sake of crime prevention was unacceptable, politicians have been arguing about what to do.
AND TIME IS PRESSING.
There are currently 524 felons in preventative detention in German prisons and the Federal Ministry of Justice has estimated that 80 of them will have to be released in the near future.
According to a BILD survey of state-level justice ministries, however, the actual number is much higher – 157 are waiting to be let free. Of those, 65 are in North Rhine-Westphalia, 19 are in Bavaria, 17 are in Hamburg and 20 are in Berlin.
So far, 14 offenders have been freed – six of them in Hesse.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO HAPPEN?
The released dangerous criminals are under supervision and are being watched by the police. They have to fulfil specified obligations: For example, Hans-Jürgen M. has to report to the police once a week, is not allowed to drink alcohol and cannot carry any dangerous objects on his person.
The risk: The police cannot continue to keep this many offenders under observation. In Hesse alone the ZÜRS (Zentralstelle zur Überwachung rückfallgefährdeter Sexualstraftäter), which is the central office for monitoring high risk sexual offenders, is watching 144 criminals! Bild
