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Cops have gays 'on file'
25/07/2005 12:33 - (SA)
Berlin - Police in three German states have set up a computer system to enable them to identify homosexuals involved in crimes or legal procedures, a German news magazine says in its Monday edition.
According to Der Spiegel the states are Bavaria in the south and Thuringia in the east, which have conservative governments, and North Rhine-Westphalia in the west, which is governed by a centre-left coalition of Social Democrats and Greens.
The report says that for some time the police have been using a computer programme recording all data about people affected by criminal acts, whether as victims, witnesses or perpetrators.
The criterion of homosexuality can be used as a search engine.
Bettina Skol, in charge of the protection of personal data in North Rhine-Westphalia described the practice as "highly dubious".
Volker Beck, a Green member of the federal parliament, has written to the interior ministers of the three states saying the systems "revive memories of the old police practice of 'pink lists'", Der Spiegel says.
These were used to persecute homosexuals in the Nazi era.
The organisation representing gay police officers says it believes the system is also in use in other German states.
Homosexuality is no longer a criminal offence under German law.
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