Controversial Remarks by German Police Union Chief

Dirk Peglow, the head of Germany’s police union, has sparked significant debate by suggesting that women steer clear of relationships with men, citing rising crime rates in the country. This statement seems to overlook government statistics indicating that women are more frequently victims of crimes involving immigrants.

During an appearance on the public broadcaster ZDF, Peglow discussed the troubling increase in crimes against women in Germany. When prompted by host Dunja Hayali about her advice for women, he mentioned, “It’s better not to have relationships with men.”

He elaborated, saying that the likelihood of experiencing psychological or physical violence is significantly higher. He added a chilling statistic: by 2024, at least two women per day are expected to fall victim to murder or attempted murder, with a similar trend anticipated for sexual crimes.

These comments have been a hot topic in the German media, especially following a report from the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) that highlighted a 9% rise in rape cases last year compared to 2024.

Additional data revealed that since 2018, during a peak immigration period, rape cases have surged by an astonishing 72 percent. The BKA noted that while foreigners make up only 15% of the total population, they account for 38.5% of rape suspects. Conversely, the number of non-German rape victims stands at 22.3%, indicating a troubling trend where foreign perpetrators often target German women.

While there was a 2.3% overall drop in violent crime last year, immigrants were notably overrepresented among suspects, comprising 42.9% of violent crime cases. However, statistics do not factor in those immigrants who have gained German citizenship or the children of foreign parents born in Germany, suggesting that the actual influence of immigrants on violent crime may be more substantial than reported.

In light of the criticism directed at his remarks, Peglow clarified that his statement was an exaggeration and not meant to be taken as literal guidance. He stressed that he did not intend to instill a general suspicion towards men, asserting that most men are non-violent and not offenders.