Federal Minister Horst Seehofer: "A declaration of trust in the police in Germany"
News Security 19 June 2020
Conference of interior ministers stands united behind police officers.
Horst Seehofer, Federal Minister of the Interior, Building and Community, praised the clear resolutions adopted by the conference of interior ministers in Erfurt: “The conference of interior ministers does not engage in party politics, but adopts clear resolutions for our country,”
Mr Seehofer said at the final press conference. From 17 to 19 June, the heads of the federal and state interior ministries discussed issues such as child abuse, refugee matters and allegations of racism in the German police.
Seehofer: “The declaration on the police in Germany is a declaration of trust”
The interior ministers at state level and the Federal Minister of the Interior adopted a declaration expressing their strong support for the police in Germany. Federal Minister Seehofer said: “This declaration is a declaration of trust. We interior ministers stand behind our police officers, unreservedly. I am deeply convinced that our police officers fully respect our free democratic constitutional system. The roughly 300,000 police officers in Germany deserve recognition and respect for the courage and dedication they show every day in the line of duty. Mr Seehofer also repeated his concern about the increasing violence police officers are facing.
Seehofer: “Minimum retention periods are key to fighting child sexual abuse material”
The heads of the interior ministries repeated their view that the fight against child sexual abuse and sexual abuse material is one of their top priorities: “We must take forceful action to prevent and punish this crime,” Federal Minister Seehofer emphasised, adding that he hoped a bill providing for tougher punishment would be adopted before the summer recess. He said that the conference of interior ministers also aimed to push for more investigations. Federal Minister Horst Seehofer: “What we need is not only tougher punishment. The fight against child sexual abuse material also requires minimum data retention periods – a regulation which, in effect, is currently suspended – to help us to identify and prosecute offenders and prevent further hideous crimes."
Federal and state governments to admit 243 sick refugee children from Greece
The federal and state governments also agreed to admit 243 sick refugee children from Greece and their closest relatives. “We will pay special attention to those federal states which have for some time signalled their willingness to accept refugee children,” Federal Minister Seehofer said at the final press conference. This included Thuringia, the state hosting the conference. The federal minister, himself a Bavarian, went on to say that he was glad that Bavaria had also said it wanted to admit some of the refugees.