Germany struggles to reform 1930s law jailing fare dodgers

  • 📰 eNCA
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 52 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 24%
  • Publisher: 51%

Law Law Headlines News

Law Law Latest News,Law Law Headlines

[ICYMI] Germany struggles to reform 1930s law jailing fare dodgers

Failing to pay the penalty for dodging a bus fare in Germany can end in up to 12 months in jail.MUNICH - Peter used to dodge fares regularly when he was homeless but he never imagined the petty offence could land him in jail for almost three years.

"Everything I had managed to build suddenly fell apart," said Peter, who had by then put a roof over his head and started jobbing as a photographer. Critics say the system exacerbates inequality as it hits the poorest disproportionately, while the rich are able to pay to avoid jail.Peter got a helping hand in March 2022 from the"Freedom Fund", which transferred 1,200 euros to him to cut short his latest jail term by 82 days.Since his first imprisonment in 2012, Peter said he had been battling with depression, repeatedly ending up in psychiatric care.

"Parliament has tried 10 times to reform this law and we have failed 10 times," Justice Minister Marco Buschmann said last month, presenting his proposals for change. It is necessary"to keep a degree of pressure", according to conservative deputy Susanne Hierl of the CSU, the Bavarian sister party of the main opposition CDU.But the Freedom Fund believes that the compensatory imprisonment system should be scrapped.

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 49. in LAW

Law Law Latest News, Law Law Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Electoral Bill: Missed opportunities and unconstitutional quagmireThe Electoral Amendment Act is a missed opportunity to allow independent candidates to stand in national and provincial elections and to make elected representatives accountable to the voters of South Africa rather than to their party bosses.
Source: mailandguardian - 🏆 2. / 92 Read more »

Zuma says he has a ‘sufficient prima facie case’ to prosecute RamaphosaFormer president quotes the law chapter and verse in pursuit of President Cyril Ramaphosa
Source: BDliveSA - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »

Uganda’s homophobic bill is already causing havoc with health servicesThe Lancet has raised a red flag regarding the impact of the proposed law.
Source: SundayTimesZA - 🏆 47. / 51 Read more »