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Forensic technician at the crime scene in Berlin
Photo: Paul Zinken / picture alliance / dpa
The senior public prosecutor in Berlin responsible for murder and manslaughter complains of negligent prosecution. In an interview with SPIEGEL, Ralph Knispel said that overwork, poor equipment and a shortage of staff in the judiciary and police have led to a situation in which criminal proceedings out of "self-defense" are suspended.
"We terminate far too many preliminary investigations prematurely - allegedly because of minor guilt," said Public Prosecutor Knispel, 60. "That has nothing to do with the consistent prosecution of crimes." Rather, it is an expression of a desperate judiciary. “In order to be able to keep our heads above water at all, we put crimes on file. Theft, fraud, bodily harm - all of this often goes unpunished, even if we know the suspect. We're bringing charges less and less. "
Knispel heads the capital crimes department of the Berlin public prosecutor's office. His book “Rechtsstaat am Ende” will be published on March 1st. The interview with him was conducted over the phone. The conversation broke off twice because the agency's system apparently wasn't working properly.
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