""The new Germany" is "a shame, a travesty," says Kurt Caz. In a video, the South African-German travel blogger presents Frankfurt's notorious Bahnhofsviertel neighborhood near the city's main train station as the new normal, which has been "completely taken over by crime, illegal migrants and drugs." Drug addicts lie around on the footpath, a suspected dealer threatens him, a woman throws a bottle: the video has more than 6 million views, and many xenophobic comments, on YouTube, and more than 10 million on TikTok."
"Frankfurt's Bahnhofviertel has long been a red-light district, criminologist Susanne Karstedt told DW. "That attracts violence, that attracts also drug crime," she said. There are certain isolated districts across Germany with very high crime rates. Like in many other countries, there tends to be more crime in cities than in rural areas. Crime rates are high in big cities like Bremen, Berlin and Frankfurt, for example, partly because social inequality is higher there than in rural areas."
"Generally, Germany can be considered a "very safe country," said Karstedt, adding that like in other Western countries "crime has gone down since the 1980s, 1990s." Technological advancement has driven some of this reduction in crime: a modern car is more difficult to break into than an older vehicle. Where does Germany stand globally? The best way to gauge how Germany compares internationally is by looking at the murder rate, according to Karstedt."
Videos depicting crime in German city districts have gone viral, showing drug use, dealers and violent incidents and provoking xenophobic comments. Frankfurt's Bahnhofsviertel is portrayed as taken over by crime, illegal migrants and drugs, and its red-light character attracts violence and drug crime. Certain isolated districts across Germany record very high crime rates, with cities like Bremen, Berlin and Frankfurt more affected partly due to higher social inequality. Overall Germany is considered a very safe country and crime has fallen since the 1980s–1990s. Technological advances, such as more secure cars, have contributed to the reduction, and international comparison often uses the murder rate.
Read at www.dw.com
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