Overview

• Prosecutors are investigating 17 members of Frankfurt’s 1st precinct over alleged unlawful force during or after arrests, including counts of bodily harm in office, obstruction and the pursuit of innocents.
• Searches targeted 21 private residences and four police stations, and the case was transferred to Hesse’s state criminal police to safeguard investigative independence.
• Six officers received service bans and others were reassigned to internal duties, with officials noting the allegations currently involve one of the precinct’s five duty groups.
• Incidents cited span February to April and include a confirmed nasal fracture, a head forced against a door and a man reportedly pushed down a staircase; most alleged victims have migrant backgrounds, with no evidence so far of xenophobic or extremist motives.
• Political pressure is intensifying for an external complaints body and anonymous reporting channel, as experts urge stronger supervision, training and cultural reforms to counter group loyalty and the normalization of force.