'Our wives and daughters are afraid of sexual assaults': Minister warns Germany has lost control of its streets and must deport 'hundreds of thousands' of migrants 

  • Markus Söder, finance and home minister in Bavaria, said the state must act 'decisively'
  • He said women are now fearful of sexual assaults
  • Söder called for the process for deporting offenders to be simplified
  • The politician said sex offenders should face severe punishments 

A German politician has warned that the country is losing control of its streets, and has called for mass deportation of migrants.

Markus Söder, finance and home minister in Bavaria, made the comments following the murder of teenager Maria Ladenburger, and nearly a year since hundreds of sex assaults in Cologne.

He warned: 'Our women and daughters are increasingly afraid of sexual assaults.'

Markus Söder, finance and home minister in Bavaria, warned: 'Our women and daughters are increasingly afraid of sexual assaults.'

Markus Söder, finance and home minister in Bavaria, warned: 'Our women and daughters are increasingly afraid of sexual assaults.'

He claimed police were becoming 'frustrated' with punishments meted out to migrants who commit sex offences. 

A 17-year-old Afghan migrant has been accused of killing Miss Ladenburger, 19, and authorities are bracing themselves for New Year's celebrations across the country.

Maria Ledenburger was killed in October. A teenager from Afghanistan is suspected of her murder

Maria Ledenburger was killed in October. A teenager from Afghanistan is suspected of her murder

She was killed in mid October in Freiburg, close to the Swiss border. Teenager Hussein Khavari is suspected of her killing. 

Earlier this month, a 31-year-old Iraqi migrant was arrested on suspicion of raping two women in Bochum. 

Last year's festivities were marred by hundreds of sexual assaults and robberies of women, largely centred around Cologne railway station. 

Söder told German newspaper Welt: 'The state must act more decisively than in the past. 

'Last year we lost control over our borders. Now we are beginning to lose control of streets and squares.'

He said not enough had been done after the disgraceful incidents in Cologne last year, saying there were 'hardly any' deportations.

Söder stated: 'To protect public order, even the slightest attacks must be prosecuted and punished.'

While the German government debates immigration rules, Söder called for the deportation process to be simplified.

Hundreds of sex assaults were reported in Cologne during last year's New Year's Eve celebrations, and authorities are planning a huge police presence on the streets this year

Hundreds of sex assaults were reported in Cologne during last year's New Year's Eve celebrations, and authorities are planning a huge police presence on the streets this year

He dismissed current figures, which show around 50 people are deported each say, saying 'it is about hundreds of thousands'.

Söder told Welt: 'We need a bigger plan.'

On Monday it was announced that 1,500 police officers would be deployed in Cologne over the new year.

Last year's assaults were damaging to Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity, and called her open door immigration policy into question

Last year's assaults were damaging to Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity, and called her open door immigration policy into question

Police last year responded too late and in too few numbers to help the hundreds of women who were attacked by mostly North African men. 

Cologne's police chief was suspended from his position after the mayor said police had failed to inform her fully of the sexual assaults and was later replaced.

Last year's assaults were damaging to Chancellor Angela Merkel's popularity, and called her open door immigration policy into question.

This year her staff have been kept informed of the additional security measures.

GERMAN NEW YEAR'S EVE SEXUAL ASSAULTS GO LARGELY UNPUNISHED

 By Allan Hall for MailOnline

Official German figures show that the rampaging immigrant mobs who sexually abused women in Cologne and other cities on New Year's Eve have mostly gone unpunished.

In Hamburg just one person received a sentence following 300 complaints from woman about being attacked on the night, three of them rapes.

A two year suspended sentence was handed down in August on a 19-year-old Afghan asylum seeker accused of sexually assaulting a woman.

Two others were cleared in court hearings, a fourth awaits a trial next year.

In Cologne, where 1,222 women were sexually assaulted or robbed, 370 investigations were quietly shelved because no perpetrators could be found. These included 211 cases of sexual assault and rape.

At the end of November just three people had been found guilty of criminal behaviour on the night and sentenced to between 12 and 21 months. Two of the sentences were suspended.

Eight hundred and 20 cases are still being investigated but prosecutors are not confident of convictions because most of the suspects cannot be identified by their victims. Of these, 372 are sex crimes.

In Duesseldorf there were legal complaints filed by over 100 women who said they had been sexually assaulted on December 31: of these 62 have been closed by police because no perpetrator could be found. Thus far, only one sex criminal has been tried and sentenced.

In Dortmund there were five police investigations opened of sexual abuse on the night; two were found guilty and given suspended sentences, while in Bielefeld 60 miles away, five criminal complaints of sexual assault were dropped because the suspects could not be traced.  

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