Germany discovers its juvenile delinquency, in particular in Berlin. The German capital has had to face for two years with a push of violence coming from young people resulting from immigration. Decided to put an end to years of laxism, the authorities of the city have just adopted a campaign against the minors recidivists, already baptized “Berliner model” by the press.

It could be wide in the remainder of the country. The 1.200 delinquents recidivists (more than five offences to their credit) of the capital will have from now on a prosecutor in charge of the follow-up of their criminal career. Violences, rackets, flights, traffics, insults… each one of their actions will be consigned on a single file. The depositions will not be recorded any more with the police station, but at the house, in the presence of the parents, who are unaware of very often the intrigues of their offspring out their walls… The objective is to prevent that more young people do not pass the course of the “offence in series”. “This stage, the young people are still often influenceable, estimates the prosecutor Andreas Behm. One can still prevent that they do not slip towards criminality.”

“Traumatisms”. Approximately 500 Berliner minors appear at present in the file of the “intensive delinquents” (more than ten offences per annum). The file had been set up in 2003 after the revelation of the scandal “Mahmoud”, of the name of the most famous delinquent of Germany, Lebanese 24 years, currently in mare, know police force since the 10 years age and which posts 160 offences with its credit. “At the current rate/rhythm, one will pass soon the course of the 600 people”, informs the police force, disillusioned by the inefficiency of justice. In 2006, the juvenile delinquency increased by 5% in Berlin and in the schools, violence increased by 40%. There are also more and more armed robberies. However, the number of the warrants for arrest moved back of 10% the last year.

The report/ratio 2006 of the police force stresses that 82,3% of the recidivists result from immigration. At the head of list appear the Lebanese one of Palestinian origin and the Turks. In the district with problems of Neukölln, “only five of the a hundred and thirty delinquents driven recidivists have a German name”. “According to statistics', a third of the young people resulting from immigration, but only one German of stock on eight, will have one day or the other business with the police force”, insists the president of the Berliner police force, Dieter Glietsch. The family structure would be the principal factor of violence: “At the house, the father is the uncontested chief. He to say not or to hold head to him is impossible. Remain only the street to evacuate its frustrations there. In school situation of failure, the young people resulting from immigration often do not have any prospect in the company.” “It is necessary to stop veiling the face: the Germans too a long time occulted the problem of the violence of the young immigrants, in the name of a romantic tolerant vision of the respect of the difference of the cultures…” insists Gilles Duhem, a French town planner who works in Neukölln for the account of an association of district.

With the shelter. Frightened by the blaze of the French suburbs of November 2005, the Germans believed themselves a long time in the shelter. At the time, the political community of beyond the rhine enjoyed to point the differences with the absence of colonial tradition in Germany and the prevalence of the right of blood in the attribution of nationality. The young people resulting from immigration, mainly deprived of German nationality, may find it beneficial “to be held with square, under penalty of losing permit residence to them”, according to arguments' of the policies. But especially the absence of “offset ghettos”, with social housing planted in the middle of the cities at the time of the rebuilding, was supposed to protect the country from a blaze of violence of the young people. Caught up with by reality, the federal government plans today to extend the range of measurements to the provision of justice: the possibility in particular of keeping in prison the most dangerous delinquents, even at the end of the sorrow.