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14 January 2004
BERLIN – Authorities in Germany fail to provide comprehensive figures on police brutality, a human-rights organization claimed Wednesday.
The European Union Council of Ministers should catalogue all suspected cases of brutality in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation, said a spokeswoman for Amnesty International.
“These figures should be compiled by an independent panel to ensure objectivity,” said the spokeswoman, Barbara Lochbihler.
Amnesty International’s report on Germany follows its reports on other EU countries, including Greece and Spain, over the past two years.
The group’s 77-page report on Germany said the number of allegations of police brutality in Germany has decreased but that that reduction is deceptive.
“There is still a pattern of alleged ill treatment and excessive use of force by police officers in Germany,” Lochbihlere said.
“A significant proportion of the allegations come from foreign nationals or members of ethnic minorities,” she added.
DPA
Subject: German news