Kiel city police stopped prosecuting and recording many migrant crimes three months ago, according to a leaked internal document splashed by a local newspaper this morning.

Senior officers in the local police moved with speed today to deny the accuracy of the document, calling a press conference just hours after the document was published by Kieler Nachrichten this morning. The internal minutes, dated October 7th 2015 outlined the details of a “collective discussion” on dealing with “criminal migrants” who were found to have no identification documents.

The group discussed the difficulty of prosecuting crimes committed by migrants who had arrived in Germany without identification documents, and who in some cases hadn’t even been registered with the authorities, and so technically didn’t exist in German society.

According to the leaked document, the group concluded there were “problems in police practice” and if identity could not be established “in a timely manner” simple crimes such as shoplifting and criminal damage wouldn’t be recorded or prosecuted. In effect, the decision gave many newly arrived migrants in the city impunity to steal “without penalty”.

Even in cases of more serious crimes such as serious theft or violence against another person officers pursuing the suspect was not guaranteed if they didn’t hold identity papers. The decision to do so would be taken in consultation with the state prosecutor.

The apparent revelations caused a political storm in the city, with political parties and law enforcement professionals speaking out to criticise the policy. The breakdown of the constitutional settlement, the abdication of the police’s responsibilities, and that political correctness now held a heavier weighting than the law were common themes.

City opposition leader Wolfgang Kubicki asked: “What signal does this give the victims of crime… that among certain groups, crime is to be accepted?”.

Initially refusing to pass comment on the veracity of the document, senior officers sat for a press conference after lunch today and rejected the assertions made, saying they were “without foundation”. Senior officer Ralf Höhs insisted: “Criminal Law is always followed, regardless of whether [the suspects are] refugees or German citizens”.

The quick denial of the Kiel police authorities is redolent of the early stages of the Cologne New Year’s Eve scandal, in which police initially told press the night had been one of the most peaceful on record. After exposure by local press and growing national pressure after shocking eyewitness testimonies and coverage in global new media the full details of the night emerged, with over 1,000 sexual and personal crimes now under investigation.