German officials: Suspects in Cologne attacks mostly foreign
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}German officials say an investigation into a string of sexual assaults and robberies in Cologne over New Year's Eve that fueled a nationwide debate over immigration policies has confirmed that most suspects so far are foreigners.
North Rhine-Westphalia Interior Minister Ralf Jaeger told state parliament in a report Tuesday that of 153 current suspects, 149 are foreigners, the dpa news agency reported. Of them, 103 were from Morocco or Algeria. They include 68 asylum-seekers and 18 people illegally in Germany; the residence status of others is still being determined.
Through the end of March, police received 1,527 criminal complaints, with more than 500 victims alleging sexual crimes.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Three people have already been convicted of thefts, and a 26-year-old Algerian was charged last month with groping a woman.