A total of 256,942 people were affected by domestic violence, marking an increase of approximately 3.7% compared to the previous year, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported, based on figures from the Federal Criminal Police Office.
But not all cases are reported so the true figure is higher, according to experts.
The latest figures are worrying, said the Social Association of Germany (SoVD). “Domestic violence mostly means violence against women, which makes facilities like the ‘Violence Against Women Helpline’ all the more important,” said board chairwoman Michaela Engelmeier.
Domestic violence is always referred to when it involves people who are or were in a partnership or when the violence occurs within the family or a familial relationship exists.
A person became a victim approximately every two minutes, according to statistics. The focus is on violence perpetrated by partners or ex-partners, which accounts for most cases.
There were nearly 171,100 such cases in 2024, 1.9% more than in 2023. In recent years, women have been predominantly affected. Domestic violence has increased by almost 14% over the past five years.
The Ministry of Family Affairs told the newspaper that the increase in domestic violence could be attributed to a rise in the propensity for violence “in light of societal crises and personal challenges.”
However, it is also possible that there is an increased willingness to report such incidents, the ministry said.
In February, the Bundesrat, the upper house of parliament, followed the lower house or Bundestag, and approved a law to better protect victims. It requires states to create sufficient protection and counselling services. To accomplish this the federal government will pay a total of €2.6 billion ($3 billion) between 2027 and 2036 to the states.
The legal entitlement to free protection and counselling is to take effect from January 1, 2032. So far, victims of domestic or gender-specific violence can merely hope for support and that shelters for example might have sufficient capacity to take them in.
Better protection in 2026
In order to better protect women from violent partners, Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig plans to introduce electronic tagging for violent offenders, with a regulation based on the Spanish model, she told the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper.
In Spain, there are no fixed exclusion zones, such as the victim’s place of residence or workplace.
Instead, the distance between the perpetrator and the victim is decisive, with the victim wearing a GPS unit to receive a warning if the perpetrator enters their vicinity. Hubig said she would present a draft bill after the summer recess.
Party responses
The Green Party noted that violence against women is not “family dramas” but “patriarchal violence.”
“There needs to be more prevention and perpetrator work, swift procedures, mandatory training for police and judiciary,” the Green Party’s spokeswoman on women’s policy, Ulle Schauws, told the newspaper.
The Left Party called for reforms in custody and access rights.
“Women with disabilities suffer physical violence almost twice as often as non-disabled women,” SoVD chairwoman Engelmeier said. Despite this alarming figure, women’s shelters lack space, including for women with disabilities.
Source: dpa
