A thorough uncovering of the facts would be the top priority.īeresvill claimed that the exposure has a positive side because it makes it possible to improve preventative work.

“With a suspicion of misconduct, it is essential to intervene early and act decisively,” he stated. The president of the Frankfurt police, Gerhard Beresvill, declared at a press conference on Wednesday that the behaviour of which the officers are accused struck at the foundations of democracy and rule of law. All police officers must “be aware at all times that any misconduct will be thoroughly investigated.” Given the accusations, he determined “that none of the accused people are any longer suited to serve in a special operations unit in Hesse.” Where it is legally possible, he added, they will be removed from the Hesse state police. Beuth, for his part, described it as “totally unacceptable” for police officers from such a highly specialised unit to talk to each other in these types of chats. The government and opposition parties responded with feigned horror over the latest revelations. Like the SEK, the LKA operates under the direction of Interior Minister Beuth. The Hesse state bureau of criminal police (LKA) took over the investigation in April this year. The confiscated phones and computers not only contained child pornography, but also pictures of Hitler, swastikas, and insults against asylum seekers that the officer shared with his colleagues in a chat group. “The future is of course unthinkable without our special forces,” he continued, “but under a different set of guidelines.”Īccording to the official version of events, the police were made aware of the group when they were investigating a 38-year-old officer last summer suspected of possessing child pornography. There will be a complete organisational restructuring and a new leadership culture, Beuth insisted. “We are initiating a fundamental new start for the SEK,” he said. Christian Democrat (CDU) Interior Minister Peter Beuth then announced Thursday the dissolution of the unit.

On Wednesday morning, the state bureau of criminal police searched the apartments and workplaces of six members of the elite unit.

The state prosecutor is investigating 20 officers from the Frankfurt special operations unit (SEK) because they shared Nazi symbols in a chat group and engaged in hate speech. Another right-wing extremist group has been discovered in the ranks of the police in the German state of Hesse.

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