Europol is looking for the most dangerous sex criminals with "Most Wanted" list

Icon: enlarge

According to the police authorities, the wanted are either already convicted or urgently suspect

Photo: 

- / dpa

Europol has started the search for 18 of the allegedly most dangerous sex offenders in Europe.

As the European police authority in The Hague announced, the fugitive criminals and suspects are to be caught via the "Europe's Most Wanted" campaign.

The wanted are either already convicted or urgently suspect.

Sex crimes are among the worst crimes, said Europol.

"A sex crime is committed almost every two minutes in the EU."

Sexual violence can affect anyone, but women and children are above all the victims.

With the online campaign, the European police authority is asking citizens for help.

The profiles of those wanted can be seen on a website and on social media for four weeks;

these are exclusively men.

19 countries take part in the campaign.

Notes can be submitted anonymously online.

The relevant national investigators would then be informed directly.

In every third arrest, the decisive tip came from the population

Among the wanted is a German who the Cologne police accused of raping a minor.

The 32-year-old, who was born in Darmstadt, is said to have sexually abused a then 16-year-old Cologne woman twice in November 2017.

The investigators say they are following evidence that the man could be abroad.

Europol's first "Most Wanted" campaign ran in 2016.

A targeted search is made online and across Europe for a limited number of refugees.

Since then, according to Europol information, 91 offenders have been arrested.

In 33 cases, the decisive tip came from the population.

Icon: The mirror

mxw / dpa