Recent acts of violence in Germany that have made international headlines and shocked the nation have left their mark on society, a survey commissioned by dpa and published on Thursday found.

The study, carried out by the YouGov research institute, found 57% of adults in Germany feel less safe in public today than they did a year ago.

The survey, which polled some 2,000 individuals on Monday and Tuesday, showed that 38% of the respondents said they did not feel more unsafe today than a year ago, while 5% were unsure or did not give an answer.

In recent months there have been several fatal knife and car-rammings on passers-by or crowds in several German cities.

A total of 17% of the population believe that such acts of violence cannot be prevented by law enforcement, while 22% believe preventive measures are possible.

The report also reveals that a majority of Germans, 57%, think that some of these violent acts could “sometimes be prevented.”

In the most recent attack in Mannheim, a 40-year-old German man drove his car hundreds of metres through the pedestrian zone, deliberately ploughing into the crowd, investigators said. An 83-year-old woman and a 54-year-old man were killed.

Source: dpa.com