Stacked Documents at the District Attorney's Office

Criminal cases pile up in Constance's public prosecutor's office, with over 3,000 still unsolved, and the figures are escalating further.

, and Administrator

2025 September 17 . 5:52 AM

2 min read

Stacked Documents at the District Attorney's Collection

Stacked Documents at the District Attorney's Office

In recent years, public prosecutor's offices across Germany have seen an increase in the number of open cases, with the trend continuing in 2022. According to the latest figures, around 964,000 cases were awaiting closure nationwide, marking a steady rise over the past four years.

One office that has experienced a significant increase is the public prosecutor's office in Constance. As of the end of June, the office had approximately 3,090 open cases, a rise from previous years. The cases range from drugs to fraud, hit-and-run, theft, and minor acts of violence.

The increase in drug cases can be attributed to the import and export of cannabis, which remains prohibited despite the legalization of cannabis for personal use in some parts of the country. The number of fraud cases has also seen a rise, adding to the growing caseload.

The public prosecutor's office in Constance is not alone in this challenge. In cities like Hamburg, the pile of cases has almost tripled, with over 31,581 open cases at the end of 2023.

In response to the growing caseload, the Minister of Justice of Baden-Württemberg, Marion Gentges (CDU), has emphasised the need for more staff to process cases faster. New positions will be particularly deployed where many cases occur, such as in money laundering, theft, or crimes under the Asylum Act.

However, it's important to note that many cases are later dropped due to lack of proof or minor offenses. Despite the high number of open cases, the total number of new cases in Constance last year was 33,000, which is 3,000 more than two years ago.

These figures highlight the challenges faced by public prosecutor's offices in Germany and the need for effective solutions to manage the growing caseload and ensure justice is served efficiently.