Under a new draft law from the Ministry of Justice, individuals who attack railway employees will face stricter penalties in the future. This proposed legislation, which has been reported by the Funke Media Group (Thursday editions), aims to provide special protection not only to train conductors but also to police officers, court bailiffs, firefighters, rescue personnel, medical staff, and employees of other public transport companies.
Under the new rules, attackers could be sentenced to a minimum of six months imprisonment, with the sentence rising to at least one year in particularly severe cases. Previously, offenders faced minimum sentences of three or six months.
Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) told the Funke newspapers that when passengers direct their aggression towards train conductors or drivers, society must react to this increasing coarseness. She emphasized that it cannot be tolerated that those who keep the country running become targets of violence, explaining that this is why the criminal penalties are being hardened.
Hubig’s move is supported by her cabinet colleague, Federal Transport Minister Steffen Bilger (CDU). The CDU politician told the newspapers that the growing assaults on train conductors are alarming and necessitate decisive action. By revising the criminal code, they are bolstering the protection of employees in public transportation. He concluded that attacks on rail staff are unacceptable and that those working for the benefit of the public should not be targets of violence.
