[1] The German Bar Association has criticized the system, claiming that testimony by crown witnesses often obstructs trials.
[2] During the 1970s, a left-wing well organized wave of violence went through Germany and Diether Posser, the Justice minister of North Rhine-Westphalia at the time, wanted to enable that witnesses were allowed to testify in return for a lenient sentence or even a remuneration, if there was little to no chance to capture a prosecuted criminal without a crown witnesses testimony.
[1] Posser wanted to enable the prosecutor to release the crown witness, which was denied by the Bundesrat and also the Justice minister Johann Vogel, who presented a different draft law, which kept the authority at the court, and demanded at least a three year sentence for a murder.
Four different attempts were presented, but in 1976, a crown witness rule was not included in the new anti terror legislation.
[12] The crown witness who testified against Kani Yılmaz, the PKK representative in Europe, committed suicide by self-immolation in 1997.