German police report surge in defamation of politicians

Police in Germany are investigating a sudden swell of public insults, defamation and slander directed at the country's politicians, according to latest statistics.

Last year, 4,439 such violations of the Criminal Code were recorded, a spokeswoman for the Federal Criminal Police Office told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper in comments published Saturday.

In 2023, there were significantly fewer violations at 2,598, compared with 1,404 in 2022.

Section 188 of the Criminal Code protects politicians from such impingements on their reputation, with violations punishable with imprisonment or a fine.

The far-right Alternative for Germany faction in parliament recently advocated for the abolition of the section, which was introduced in 2021 in its current form.