BKA boss: Authorities prevented since Breitscheidplatz assassination seven attacks

According to the head of the Federal Criminal Police Office, Holger Münch, the security authorities in Germany have prevented seven attacks since the attack on Berlin's Breitscheidplatz. Today, an act like that of Anis Amri can not happen anymore, he told the "Rheinische Post".

There were three major weaknesses back then.

• "First, the lawsuit against the perpetrator Anis Amri was not rigorously pursued, and that would not happen today," Münch said.
• Second, the criminal proceedings against Amri have not been brought together in the various Länder.
• And thirdly, today we consistently pursue a people-oriented approach. So look not only at the concrete risk situation, but also at the person and their dangerousness. "There were indications of a possible attack by Amri on rapid-fire rifles in 2016. This suspicion did not harden, and today not only this issue, but the person Amri would be more in focus."

Amri had shot a Polish truck driver on 19 December 2016, had raced with his vehicle on the Christmas market in Berlin at the Gedächtniskirche in a crowd and had killed so many more people and injured dozens.

Münch also spoke with the newspaper about online threats by right-wing extremists and announced a so-called center for hate crime in the network. "We need to do more to tackle hate crime online, and the internet sometimes seems like the last bastion of the Wild West," he told the newspaper. "If threats from the right also mean that local politicians no longer compete in elections and volunteers withdraw from their commitment, then this is also harmful to democracy."

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Demands for the fight against right-wing extremismMore staff, stricter laws, faster access

Last week, Münch had already demanded more personnel to step up action against right-wing extremism. In addition, the BKA and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution presented their joint plans to combat right-wing extremist dangers. Among other things, the two security authorities demand a right-wing extremist radar and the extension of retention periods (more about the demands and proposals can be found here).