Where Data Tells the Story
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According to police crime statistics, the proportion of non-German suspects stands at 34.3 %. According to an analysis by media studies academic Prof. Thomas Hestermann, in newspaper reports that mention the suspect’s background, the figure is 90.8 % – meaning they are over-represented by almost three times. Overall, origin is not mentioned in 67 % of the articles analysed. However, when it is mentioned, it applies almost exclusively to non-Germans. At the same time, several federal states, including Bavaria and Schleswig-Holstein, have obliged their police authorities to state the nationality of suspects in press releases from 2025 onwards. The German Press Council views this more as a source of further distortion than as a corrective mechanism.