The new CDU General Secretary Linnemann wants to punish acts of violence in outdoor pools more quickly. This should happen on the same day, he said in the “image”. He also called for the citizens’ income to be revised.
After repeated violence in Berlin’s outdoor pools, the new CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann called for violent criminals to be punished consistently on the day of the crime. “There is a need for fast-track procedures against violent criminals, the judicial system must be organized accordingly,” Linnemann told the “Bild am Sonntag”. “Anyone who attacks people in the outdoor pool at noon has to sit in front of the judge in the evening and be sentenced. Even at the weekend.” The Code of Criminal Procedure provides that. The penalty must also be fully exhausted, up to and including imprisonment.
The judiciary is already overloaded
According to the Code of Criminal Procedure, the public prosecutor’s office can apply for a decision in accelerated proceedings if the case is suitable for immediate hearing due to the simple facts or the clear evidence. The summary court may sentence the accused to a maximum of one year imprisonment. However, the judiciary – especially in Berlin – is already overburdened. For example, the public prosecutor’s office in the capital had to stop more than half of all money laundering proceedings last year due to high workloads and a lack of staff.
Last weekend there were violent clashes in outdoor pools in Neukölln and Kreuzberg. The Columbiabad was cleared again. The outdoor pool is known nationwide because there are often riots and problems with young people there. Parts of the Neukölln district are considered a social hot spot.
“The rule of law only works with deterrence”
Linnemann said that in principle the aim must be to immediately hold criminals accountable. “The strong rule of law only works with deterrence if the perpetrators have to expect that they will be convicted and face the consequences on the same day.” What is currently happening in the outdoor pools is also “simply antisocial,” said Linnemann. “Family families who can’t afford a vacation or a pool in their own garden have to watch young men, often with a migration background, become violent in the outdoor pool. They have the impression that the state is just watching.”
Citizen’s income not for all citizens?
In addition, he would revise the citizens’ income in the event of his party participating in the government. “Those who cannot work need full support from the state,” he said. But those who can work and receive citizen income must also accept a job. “Otherwise he can’t expect any help from the state. That’s why we’ll take on citizen income when we come to power.”
The term itself is misleading, said Linnemann. “Citizen’s allowance sounds as if every citizen is entitled to this benefit from tax money. We have to change that.” The government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) introduced citizen income on January 1, 2023 – it replaced the previous Hartz IV system. Citizens’ income is a central socio-political reform of the traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP.