Tougher penalties planned for attacks on emergency services

According to a draft law by Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig, attacks on police officers, firefighters, doctors or railway employees should be punished more harshly in the future. Attacks of this type have increased in recent years. The Bundestag still has to decide on the draft law.

“Those who keep our country running deserve our protection,” said Hubig. The increased punishment is intended to send a clear signal: “Our constitutional state protects those who are there for others and it does not leave violence against them unanswered. It’s about protecting our community and our coexistence.”

Accordingly, the draft law stipulates that attacks on so-called law enforcement officers such as police officers or bailiffs, as well as on firefighters and rescue workers, will be punished with a prison sentence of at least six months instead of the previous three months. In particularly serious cases, the punishment can be between one and ten years instead of the current six months and five years.