The Police Union (GdP) is demanding a fundamental overhaul of both police and judicial systems as part of its fight against sexual violence affecting children and young people. Alexander Poitz, the deputy national chairman, stated to RTL and ntv that a functional rule-of-law chain is essential. To achieve this, the GdP argues that institutions require not only administrative and enforcement personnel but also external specialist staff, such as IT experts. Furthermore, the justice system must be adequately reinforced so that swift punishment follows the commission of a crime.
Crucially, Poitz emphasized the need to update the legal framework. He criticized the current state police laws, noting that they have remained unchanged for 10 to 15 years, insisting that these security agencies must finally be modernized to fit the 21st century. He attributed the persistent high number of cases to several factors, including new reporting guidelines, changes in citizens’ behavior when reporting incidents, the increasing shift of activity into virtual spaces, and a wider societal violence problem.
The GdP representative also strongly criticized the expiration of the EU regulation designed to identify child pornographic content on online platforms. He insists that providers and manufacturers must be legally required to detect and report these instances. A serious oversight, he added, was the failure at the European level to extend the “chat controls” regulation (CSAM regulation). Poitz stressed that urgent action is needed in this regard, calling for awareness campaigns, a “duty to disclose” information online to identify individuals on platforms, and the implementation of modern investigative tools. These tools should include minimum mandatory IP storage periods, source telecommunications surveillance (TKÜ), online searches, and the ability to analyze large volumes of data.
