NCJ Number
68494
Date Published
1977
Length
133 pages
Annotation
THE NATURE OF CRIMES COMMITTED IN HAMBURG BY FOREIGNERS, INCLUDING OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS, VICTIMS, AND VICTIM-OFFENDER RELATIONSHIPS, ARE ANALYZED ON THE BASIS OF 1977 POLICE STATISTICS.
Abstract
THE STUDY COVERS 3,270 OFFENSES COMMITTED BY 2,729 NON-GERMAN SUSPECTS. RESULTS INDICATE THAT THE MOST COMMON OFFENSES ARE THEFT (34 PERCENT), VIOLATIONS OF LAWS GOVERNING FOREIGNERS (19 PERCENT), AND PHYSICAL INJURY (12 PERCENT). MOST OF THE CRIMES OCCUR INSIDE BUILDINGS IN PLEASURE CENTERS SUCH AS ST. PAULI, AND FOREIGNERS USUALLY ACT ALONE. FOREIGN OFFENDERS NOT WORKING ALONE ARE FREQUENTLY AIDED BY GERMAN ACCOMPLICES. THE MOST COMMON NATIONALITIES INVOLVED IN CRIMES ARE TURKISH AND YUGOSLAVIAN. THE MAJORITY OF FOREIGN OFFENDERS USE NO WEAPONS AND ARE SINGLE MALE WORKERS RESIDING IN HAMBURG, ALTHOUGH UP TO 25 PERCENT ARE ILLEGAL ALIENS. ALMOST 70 PERCENT ARE NOT UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL OR DRUGS WHEN PERPETRATING OFFENSES. FOREIGN OFFENDERS DO NOT SEEM TO BE MORE MOBILE THAN NATIVE GERMANS. VICTIMS TEND TO BE ALONE WHEN CONFRONTED (93 PERCENT); WHILE THEIR AGE RANGES FROM 1 YEAR OLD TO 80, MOST ARE BETWEEN 15 AND 50. TWO-THIRDS OF THE VICTIMS ARE GERMANS; NON-GERMAN VICTIMS ARE GENERALLY TURKISH OR YUGOSLAVIAN. IN MOST CASES VICTIMS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME NATIONALITY AS OFFENDERS, ALTHOUGH THE PERCENTAGE OF VICTIMS WITH THE SAME NATIONALITY AS OFFENDERS IS GREATER FOR ASSAULT THAN FOR PROPERTY CRIMES. VICTIM-OFFENDER RELATIONSHIPS EXIST IN ONLY 19.57 PERCENT OF THE CASES AND ARE MOST COMMON FOR THREATS, RAPE, BODILY INJURY, MURDER, AND CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. A VERY BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY AND NUMEROUS TABLES ARE SUPPLIED. --IN GERMAN.