Bundestag Increasesโ Penalties for ATM Explosions
BERLIN – The German Bundestag on Wednesday, November 6, 2024,โ approved legislation increasing penalties for individuals involved in ATM explosions, a crime that has seen a riseโ in โrecent years and caused millions โขin damages. The amendedโค law โaims โฃto deter such attacks by imposing stricter punishments on perpetrators.
The move comes as authorities grapple with a surge in sophisticated ATM raids across Germany, often carried out by organized โcriminal โgroups. While โขproponents argueโ the tougher penalties will act as a deterrent, oppositionโ parties have voiced โขskepticism, suggesting โฃthe focus should be on preventing access to explosives and improving detection rates. The legislation passed โฃwith support โfrom the โฃCDU, CSU, SPD, and AfD.
Green Party MP Marcel โฃemmerich โcriticized the law as “symbolic politics without โฃany real security gain,” advocatingโ instead โฃfor measures to restrictโค access to explosives. He argued that increasing the severity ofโข punishment alone will not โฃeffectively address the problem.
Katrinโข Fey of the Left party echoed this sentiment, stating, “It isโ indeed โฃnot the level of punishment that prevents the crime, but rather the probability of being discovered.” Her comments highlightโค a focusโฃ on improving investigative capabilities and apprehension rates as a โmore effective crimeโ prevention strategy.